


Careful What You Wish For

by slayerivy



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-23
Updated: 2012-12-23
Packaged: 2017-11-22 03:41:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/605436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slayerivy/pseuds/slayerivy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dawn makes a wish without knowing it will change the world she lives in.  Buffy/Spike Romance</p><p>This story was originally written & posted online in 2001.  I am working on cleaning it up and finishing it this time, so here it goes...</p><p>* Note *  There is an attempted rape scene in one chapter, hence the warning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Careful What You Wish For

Summary: Dawn makes a wish without knowing it will change the world she lives in. Buffy/Spike Romance

Setting: Season 6 – Post-“Wrecked”

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss & Company.

Author’s Note: I have taken the premise for this fan fic from a story written by Karen & Meredith called “Walk a Mile”.

Dawn’s arm hurt, a lot and when the phone rang next to her bed she almost didn’t want to answer it. But she was home alone and it might be Buffy or Tara calling to check in on her. She reached over and grabbed the receiver on the fourth ring. “Hello?”

A familiar male voice was on the other line. “Dawn?”

“Spike?”

“Hey, Little Bit, how are you feeling today?”

Dawn was confused. “Spike?”

“Yes! It’s me and yes I’m calling you on the phone. Why does that surprise everyone so much?”

“Because you usually just show up. I didn’t know you even knew how to use a phone.” She said laughing at the century old vampire.

“So, you sound like you’re feeling better then?”

“Not really. I’m in pain, I’m so very pissed at Willow and I’m bored to tears at home all alone.”

“You’re alone? Where is everybody? Why would they leave you alone?”  
Dawn was surprised by the concerned tone of Spike’s voice. “Well, they have school and work. And well, Buffy is probably still reaming Willow about what happened. Where are you calling from?”

“I’m using the pay phone at a bar downtown. Do you need me to come over and keep you company? Just until they get home?”  
Dawn clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. “Spike, I don’t need a baby sitter anymore.”

“I’m not a bleedin’ baby sitter, Little Bit. I just thought you might need someone to take your mind off being hurt.”

Dawn smiled. This was great, maybe they could play cards like they used to. “How fast can you get here?”

“Gimme 20 minutes.”

“I’ll leave the front door open.”

 

Two hours later Dawn was lying on the couch covered with a knitted afghan watching She’s All That on cable and eating chicken fingers with mustard. When Buffy came in Dawn looked surprised to see her back so soon.

Buffy smiled at her little sister and went over to her side. “Hey, Dawnie. You must be feeling better. You made your favorite food.”

As Buffy snagged a chicken finger and took a bite, Dawn looked towards the kitchen. “Well, actually . . .”

Before Dawn could finish her thought Spike walked into living room carrying a drink and a prescription bottle. “All right, Niblet, here’s your freshly brewed iced tea and some medicine for the pain. . .”

Buffy stood up and went into her typical defensive mode. “What are you doing here?”

Spike put the glass and pill bottle down on the coffee table. “I came to look after Dawn. She was alone and bored and obviously hungry so I . . .”

“So you just invited yourself over. I know what you’re doing and it’s not going to work.”

Spike crossed his arms and smirked at the Slayer. “And what am I doing now?”

Buffy grabbed his shirt and dragged him into the dining room. “You’re using my little sister to get to me! And it’s not going to work.”  
Spike puffed himself up and leaned into her face. He lowered his voice to just barely above a whisper. “I don’t need to use Dawn to get to you, pet. I’ve already gotten there.”

“Buffy?” Dawn called from the other room. “Don’t yell at him! I asked him to come over.”

Buffy sneered at the vampire in her house. “Get out.”

Spike walked out of the room and grabbed his coat. Going over to Dawn he patted her head lightly and smiled. “Take care, Sweet Pea.”

Dawn smiled. “Thanks, Spike.”

“Anytime.”

Spike glared at Buffy as he turned and walked down the hall through the kitchen to the back door. Buffy followed him outside into the twilight evening.

“You have no right coming here without my permission.”

“And you have no right to waltz into my crypt any time you bloody well feel like it, but you do!”

“I have had it with your shit, Spike!”

“And I’ve had it with your being a bleedin’ bitch to me all the time!”

“I am not a bitch to you all the time!”

“That’s right, you only decide to be pleasant when you want something from me.”

“Well what I want from you now is to stay the hell away from me and my sister!”

Spike grabbed Buffy by the shoulders and pulled her close to his body. “Fine! Go it alone! But don’t come crying to me when she runs off again or one of your mates almost gets her killed!”

Buffy tried to speak but she couldn’t, his mouth was too close to hers. He was completely throwing her off again. Suddenly his hands were in her hair and his fingers massaging her scalp as he leaned in closer. “If you’d just let me, I could help you take care of her. I could be the one to make it all right. I can be more than just a roll in the hay, luv. I could be your lover and I could be her. . .”

Buffy roughly pushed him away. “Be her what? Her Daddy?”

“Well, God knows she needs one! She also needs a bleedin’ leash, but I think you lot would frown on that.”

“We’re fine by ourselves. We don’t need your help.” She lied.

Spike nodded and smiled. “You just keep tellin’ yourself that. When you come to your senses, you know where I’ll be.”

Buffy sighed. “Whatever.”

Spike kissed her hard on the lips and forced his tongue into her mouth. Within one second Buffy was responding to his invasion with equal intensity. Her hands grasped at his waist pulling him closer grinding herself against him. And with that Spike broke the kiss and pushed her away. Turning away from her he stalked away. “Yeah, Slayer, whatever.”

Buffy couldn’t believe it. He just left! That arrogant son of a bitch! Before she could stop herself the Slayer yelled back at the vampire now disappearing behind the bushes. “Yeah, well you suck, Spike!” Oh my God! How lame was that come back?

The next morning Willow was alone in the house. Buffy had gone to take Dawn to school and explain why her little sister had been absent the past two days. Willow still felt like Hell, the withdrawal symptoms hadn’t dissipated yet and she couldn’t sleep for more than an hour at a time.

She was just about to make herself some pancakes when the back door opened to reveal a very excited Amy.

“Willow! Oh my God! Have I got something for you!”

“Amy? What are you doing here?”

Amy set a small jewelry box on the counter and slid it over to Willow. “I heard what happened with you and your friends so I brought you a present.”

Willow opened the velvet box and looked at glittering amethyst ring inside. “Wow. It’s pretty.”

Amy smiled. “I know and it’s the answer to your problems.”

Willow gave Amy a wary look. “How is a ring the answer?”

“It’s magic. All you have to do is put it on and make a wish. You can wish for anything including changing the last few days. You can reverse time, change the universe, be whatever you want to be, but it’s only good for one wish.”

Willow’s anger bubbled up in her throat. “No. No more magic, I’m done, Amy.”

Amy laughed. “Done? How can you say that? This can make all your problems disappear, then you can be done, if that’s what you really want.”

“God damn it, Amy! Do you know what I did? Really? I hurt my friends! People I love more than anything! And you want me to do more magic? How the Hell do you think I got into this mess in the first place? I told you, I’m done!”

Amy backed away from Willow’s furious declaration. “Okay, okay, geez! I was only trying to help!”

Willow held the box out to Amy. “Here. Take this away.”

Amy shook her head. “No, you keep it. Just in case you change your mind.” Amy then gave Willow a knowing smile and slipped out the back door.

Willow sat staring at the ring in its box. She picked it up out of the box and examined it carefully. It was true what Amy had said; she was only trying to help. Problem was this wasn’t the kind of help Willow needed. “I can’t fix this with magic. I can’t.”

Willow’s eyes filled with tears as she put the ring back in the box and threw it into the garbage pail underneath the sink. Then she turned to go back upstairs to take a shower, she suddenly had lost her appetite for pancakes.

Dawn Summers arrived home after school that day to an empty house. The note in the kitchen said that Buffy and Willow were at the Magic Shop and would be home by dinnertime.

“Alone again. Surprise, surprise!” Dawn sighed as she opened the refrigerator to get herself a drink. She searched it only to find that the iced tea Spike had made for her yesterday was gone. She picked up the carton of orange juice and poured herself a half an inch of juice into her glass! Staring at the empty carton in her hand, Dawn’s frustration rose. “Damn it! That’s right! I just swore, but no one’s here to care so . . . God Fucking Damn it!”

Dawn opened the cabinet underneath the sink and savagely threw the empty carton into the garbage only to have the carton bounce out again onto the floor. “Shit!”

Dawn stopped a moment and took a deep breath. Her arm was hurting her again and she needed to take her medicine. As she picked up the carton to put it back in the garbage she noticed a small velvet jewelry box sitting there on top of an empty box macaroni and cheese. Dawn picked it up and threw away her orange juice carton gently this time. Opening the jewelry box she was blown away by how pretty the amethyst ring nestled in its velvet slot was.

“Whoa! Who would throw out such a pretty ring?” Dawn took it out of the box and tried it on her ring finger – a perfect fit. “Well, it’s not like it’s stealing, this time. If anybody asks I’ll tell them the truth; finders keepers.”

Dawn waited and waited for Buffy and Willow to return from the Magic Shop, but it was already 7:30 and she had been starving. Dawn sat on the couch with the remote in one hand and a hot pocket in the other. “Stupid frozen dinners! Even my cooking is better than this!”

Buffy ran through the front door with Willow in tow. “Sorry we’re late, Dawn! We brought pizza!”

Dawn threw them her most scowling look. “Not hungry.” Dawn tossed her half eaten lukewarm hot pocket onto the plate on the coffee table and sprinted up the stairs.

Willow pouted at Buffy. “It’s ‘cause I’m here. I’m sorry, so sorry. I’m gonna go.”

Buffy put her hand on Willow’s arm. “No, you don’t have to go anywhere.”

Willow began to choke back on her tears. “No, ya know, I think I’m gonna go visit my parents. I haven’t been around to see them in a while and maybe I’ll just crash there tonight.”

“Will, you don’t have to. . . she’s probably more pissed at me for not calling and leaving her alone, again.”

“No, Buffy, I think I need to go, just for tonight. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

Buffy hugged her best friend. “OK, but you come home tomorrow, right?”

Willow smiled. “You bet. I’ll call you.”

“G’night.”

Willow picked up her knapsack and headed out the door. “Bye, Buffy.”

Buffy threw the pizza box on the coffee table and headed upstairs to confront and apologize to her little sister.

Cracking open Dawn’s bedroom door, Buffy poked her head inside. “Hey.”

Dawn was on her bed with her back turned to her sister. “Hey.”

Buffy sat down next to Dawn and put her arm around her. “I’m really sorry, I think I really need to put together a schedule so that we don’t miss each like this anymore.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Buffy knelt down in front of Dawn and took her hands in hers. “No. Not whatever. I am sorry about tonight and last week and every time I wasn’t there with you when you needed me. I am trying my best, I really am.”

Dawn felt really bad all of a sudden. She was being bratty and she knew it. Maybe she could come up with a compromise. “Buffy?”

“Yeah?”

“I know you’re doing your best. I understand really, but you can’t do all of it alone. The slaying, the bills, your friends, me. You, we, need help.”

“Well, Willow will be around more now that she . . .”

“Not Willow. She’s got too many problems of her own now. And Xander and Anya they have jobs and a wedding to plan. And Tara . . .” Dawn’s eyes misted up at the mentioning of Willow’s now ex-girlfriend. “Well, Tara, doesn’t need to be around all the time to be reminded of how bad things went with her and Willow.” 

Buffy was scared at where this conversation was going. “Dawnie? You don’t want to leave do you? You’re not going to leave me to go back with Dad, are you?”  
“No! I don’t wanna live with Dad. I want to stay here with you, I just thought that maybe we could ask someone else to help us out, ya know?”

Buffy was completely lost. “Who?”

“Well, I was thinking, maybe a few days a week, Spike could come over and hang while you’re out or . . .”

Buffy’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name. “Spike? You want to have Spike be your babysitter?”

Dawn rolled her eyes at Buffy. “No! Not a babysitter, just someone to have dinner with or make sure I do my homework or just to keep an eye on the house when it’s dark out. You know, keep the nasties away.”

“No, absolutely not! No way!”

“Why? He used to take care of me all the time when you were . . . gone this summer.”

Buffy shook her head. “That was then. Things are different now.”

Dawn threw her hands up in the air. “What? What’s different now? Why are you so anti-Spike all of a sudden anyway? You two have been out patrolling together almost every night since you got back and I haven’t seen you yell at him or hit him, well, until last night. What’s going on with you two?”

Buffy was mortified now. How could Dawn pick up on this thing she had gotten herself into? “Nothing is going on with me and Spike. I just don’t think you spending time with an undead evil demon is the best parenting strategy I can come up with.”

Dawn started to pace. She wanted this; she wanted to have some of the security that Spike made her feel over the past summer. She wanted to feel protected, loved and above all not to feel so lonely all the time. “God! Buffy! What do you think he’s gonna do? He can’t eat me, he would never, he’d never let anything ever happen to me or you ever again. He’d rather drink a gallon of holy water before he’d let . . .”

Buffy raised her hands up in frustration. “Stop! No more! Dawn, you don’t understand.”

“Then make me understand! Tell me why the one person on this planet who has all the time in the world to spend with us can’t take care of me once in a while!”

Buffy didn’t know what to say. How could she explain that she’d given into Spike’s sexual advances and loved every second of it? How do you tell a fifteen-year-old that you’re scared to death of falling in love with another vampire? “Dawn. I can’t let him, I can’t let him just come in here and take over. He may have a chip in his head, but that doesn’t mean he’s changed . . .”

Dawn plopped herself down at her desk chair and started to fiddle with her new ring. She was pissed and wasn’t going to drop this subject, yet. “How do you know? How do you know he hasn’t changed? You weren’t there to see him after you died. He was crushed, just like the rest of us. He loved you so much and you don’t even care! God! I just wish that you could know what it’s like to be in his place for a change!”

A feeling of disorientation and dizziness passed over Dawn in a powerful wave. She shook her head and blinked her eyes a couple of times to shake the feeling off of her. When she looked up she was aware that her older brother, Spike, was about to blow a gasket.

“Damn it, Dawn! How can I put this? There is no way on this Hell mouth that I am going to let Buffy, Elizabeth the Bloody, Ms. Big Bad herself, become your stable female role model!”


	2. Chapter 2

Careful What You Wish For

Summary: Dawn makes a wish without knowing it will change the world she lives in. Buffy/Spike Romance

Setting: Season 6 – Post-“Wrecked”

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss & Company.

Author’s Note: I have taken the premise for this fan fic from a story written by Karen & Meredith called “Walk a Mile”.

A feeling of disorientation and dizziness passed over Dawn in a powerful wave. She shook her head and blinked her eyes a couple of times to shake the feeling off of her. When she looked up she was aware that her older brother, Spike, was about to blow a gasket.  
“Damn it, Dawn! How can I put this? There is no way on this Hell mouth that I am going to let Buffy, Elizabeth the Bloody, Ms. Big Bad herself, become your stable female role model!”

 

Dawn looked up at him with weepy and weary eyes. Why didn’t he just understand that Buffy loved them? Sure, she’d done some pretty horrible things, but she’d changed so much in the past couple of years. Sometimes, Buffy was the only one Dawn could talk to. She may be an evil undead vampire, but she knew how to listen and she always could make Dawn feel better about whatever awful thing was going on. Even when Glory had beaten the crap out of Buffy to get the location of the Key, she still had told Dawn it wasn’t her fault. Dawn remembered the raccoon eyes Glory had given her and the image of Doc stabbing Buffy in the back then throwing her off the tower was burned into her brain. And after Spike had died to save the world, Buffy had been there to pick up the slack, helping out on patrols and in the Summers’ home whenever Willow or Tara asked her to. Now, when Dawn wanted to spend a little bit of time with her, Spike was putting the breaks on. It made no sense. Something was going on and Spike wasn’t telling her the truth.

Dawn sighed in defeat. “Fine, William, whatever. What now?”

Spike ran his hands through his light brown hair and shook his head at his little sister. He hated it when Dawn used his given name like that. It reminded him of how his parents Joyce and Hank used to talk to him whenever he misbehaved. “Xander and Anya are coming over for a couple hours while I go on patrol. You should finish your homework and get ready for bed. Tomorrow’s Friday and then we have all weekend to come up with a realistic game plan. okay?”

Dawn nodded at the floor. “Okay.”

Spike hooked his finger underneath her chin forcing her to look into his eyes. “Dawnie, I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Spike kissed his baby sister’s nose just like she hated and watched her wipe it off. “Eww! You know I hate that!”

“I know, but you’re stuck; you can’t choose your family.”

 

Buffy stalked her way through the cemetery mumbling to herself as she twisted open her bottle of Jim Beam and took a healthy swallow. “Bloody Slayer! State of permanent denial he’s in is gonna kill me!”

Buffy stopped at the base of a large oak tree and sat herself down to have a drink. She had just lit up a cigarette when a growling vampire was thrown to the ground at her feet. Spike pounced on top of the vamp and dusted him in two seconds flat.

Spike looked up from the pile of dust beneath him at the sound of a melodious, yet condescending, English accent. “Well, well, well, fancy meetin’ you here. Out for a jaunt, pet?”

Spike let his eyes travel up Buffy’s body from her black Doc Martins, past her skin-tight black jeans to her equally tight black tank top and leather duster. Finally, he looked into her face just as she exhaled a puff of white smoke. She smiled sweetly at him and licked her glossy pink lips. “Miss me, did you?”

Stunned only momentarily by her proximity, Spike got up and started to walk away from the dazzling blond vampire without a single word. But just as he thought, she would have none of that. “Oy! Slayer! Going so soon? You just got here!”

“Leave me alone, Buffy. I’m not in the mood for your games tonight. I’ve got work to do.”

Buffy tugged on Spike’s brown leather jacket to get his attention. “Oh come on! It’s almost midnight! Most vamps have already risen by now, we could go catch the rest of Jay Leno on the telly and . . .”

Spike just kept on walking away. “Nope. Gotta get home to Dawn.”

Buffy tugged on him harder spinning him around to face her. “How’s Bite Size doin’? Is she feelin’ any better?”

“She’s going to be fine. Nothing for you to be concerned about.” Spike said as he wrenched his arm out of her grasp. “Good night, Buffy.”

“I was only askin’! Poor thing was all sorts of achy yesterday - and bored - and alone. If you want I can come by to look after her in the late afternoon or she can stop by at my place after school. . .”

“Oh yeah, great! And you can tell her stories about how you’ve eviscerated and tortured people and . . .”

Buffy rolled her eyes and laughed. “I don’t tell her stories like that! Anymore.”

Spike turned and viciously shoved Buffy away from him so that she tripped over a head stone and fell on her back. Looming over her, Spike sneered down at her. “Listen and listen good! Dawn doesn’t need you in her life! I don’t need you in my life! Just because I went insane for one night and, and, spent it with you does not mean you get to take over my life!”

“I’m not trying to. . .” Buffy stammered.

Spike put his hands up in defense. “Yes! Yes you are! Just because you don’t have a life of your own does not mean you can suck the life out of mine!”

Buffy got up and started to dust herself off. “I’m just trying to help you! I would never hurt you or Dawn! Well, you know, unless you wanted me to hurt you in a pleasurable kind of way . . .”

Spike pointed at her accusingly. “Shut up! You are disgusting! How do you always know the exact wrong thing to say?”

The tears were threatening to spill from her eyes. “Well, I don’t try to! I-I just want the two of you to be safe.”

“Again, Buffy, we don’t need you! You wanna play Mommy? Why don’t you go find your psycho sire Angel, I’m sure he’ll let you take care of him!”

A single tear ran down her cheek and Buffy charged towards Spike in a fury. She stopped short of punching him in the face and instead unleashed her verbal assault. “Just because you’re disgusted with yourself for letting me touch you doesn’t mean that you and Dawn don’t need my help! You just keep on deluding yourself until she ends up hurt or dead or worse, like me. I saw what was goin’ on this Halloween! She was one bite away from being an undead bloodsucker like me! Now, you know I love you, but I’m not asking for your love in return, just your trust!”

Spike backhanded Buffy across the face. “You will never have me, Buffy! Not my trust and not my love. And you will never get your hooks in my baby sister! You got that? Now, fuck off!”

Buffy sucked in a gasp of air that physically crippled her. What he had just said was so abhorrent she couldn’t believe it had actually come out of the Slayer’s mouth. Instead of breaking down in sobs like she wanted to she lashed out again in her anger. “Touché, Slayer, touché. This is the way you want it? Fine! We’ll see how long you last until you come crawling back begging for my help or my advice or my body.”

Spike opened his mouth to yell at her again, but couldn’t think of a thing to say to her. He just needed to not see her anymore; she was too tempting. Every time he was near her he either wanted to fight her or fuck her or both. This sick and twisted relationship was going nowhere. Why didn’t she see that? Instead of hurling a witty comeback at her, he turned and ran out of the cemetery as fast as he could.

Buffy went back to the tree and retrieved her bottle of bourbon then slowly made her way across the graveyard towards her crypt. She felt completely defeated. The things he’d said to her cut her deeper than any knife could ever have. He didn’t want her around, but she knew he was lying to her. He wanted something from her; needed something from her. If he’d only stop denying it she could give him whatever it was he was looking for.

If nothing else, Buffy knew one thing to be true: Dawn liked her. The only person in this God forsaken town who actually liked Buffy was Dawn. Buffy had spent all summer making sure she was safe. She stayed with Dawn at the house whenever the Scooby gang needed her to. They would watch television together, play cards, Dawn would gossip about the boys at her school to her and sometimes Buffy would even let Dawn do her hair and make up, just for fun. Xander would inevitably come in and laugh at whatever Dawn had done to Buffy and say something like: “Oh look, it’s evil vampire Barbie. Fangs sold separately.”

Then Dawn would quickly wipe Buffy’s face clean of the makeup and fix her hair the way she liked it – smooth and sleek and away from her face, sometimes in a ponytail – simple. So unlike the elaborate old-fashioned hairdo she used to have to sport just because she was a female.

Buffy loved the modern age because she could wear whatever she wanted and still be socially acceptable. No corsets, no bustles, no floor length gowns to trip over – it was liberating. Not that Buffy didn’t wear a skirt still on occasion; like the night she and Spike had brought the house down together. She had worn a long leather skirt with slits up the sides and no knickers. It turned out that it had been the perfect outfit for that particular evening.

Buffy shuddered at the thought of that night, as she entered her crypt and made her way down the ladder to her makeshift bedroom. Lighting all the candles and removing her leather duster she climbed up onto her bed. She wished Spike were there with her. She wished she wasn’t all alone in her grave anymore. 

She closed her eyes tightly and tried her best to replay the events of their night of passion in her head. Slowly, she undid her jeans and slid her hand inside her panties trying to imagine that it was his fingers playing with the soft curls between her thighs. She could remember his scent, all male, all salty sweet in the air with a hint of his blood from the cuts she’d caused during their fight. And he had been hot, so hot, sliding her down onto his shaft over and over again burning her inside until she screamed with delight.

Buffy shoved her jeans and panties down to her ankles and then kicked off her boots while she pulled off her shirt. She lay there completely naked with her eyes still squeezed tightly shut pretending that it was Spike’s cock plunging in and out of her body instead of her own wet fingers. She remembered the look on his face the first time he came inside of her. He was in pure ecstasy as he reached his climax. She could see it in his eyes; his overwhelming need for her.

“He wanted me. Over and over again. He wanted me. I love you, Slayer. I love you.” Buffy panted as her own orgasm shook through her body. Buffy then curled herself up under the covers. She gathered a couple extra pillows and hugged them to her body. If she tried real hard, maybe she could pretend that it was Spike that she was holding close to her. But that wouldn’t work. The pillows were cold and so was she. Cold and alone in her grave, Buffy cried silently into her pillows. She cried for losing what she never really had with the Slayer and she cried for losing all that she’d had with his little sister. Locked out and pushed away yet again, Buffy cried until she fell asleep. Letting her dreams claim her, Buffy dreamed that she was once again warm in his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

Careful What You Wish For

Summary: Dawn makes a wish without knowing it will change the world she lives in. Buffy/Spike Romance

Setting: Season 6 – Post-“Wrecked”

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss & Company.

Author’s Note: I have taken the premise for this fan fic from a story written by Karen & Meredith called “Walk a Mile”.

** Warning: This is the chapter that contains an attempted rape scene. **

Xander was stoked. He had just recently gotten Spike hired back onto his construction crew with promises to the other guys that he would slow down things to a more “human” pace and cut out the fighting. Now, Xander had gotten the project built on schedule, with Spike’s help of course, and the whole crew had received an enormous bonus. If things kept up like this, Anya and he would have the down payment for a house and Spike would be able to keep his mother’s house and start a college fund for Dawn. It was time to celebrate.

It was Friday night and it was dinner for all gang followed by drinks at the Bronze. Well almost all the gang. Anya had called Tara to invite her along, but she was still very uncomfortable about her breakup with Willow. And of course they didn’t invite Buffy, because she didn’t need to eat food. Dawn was very disappointed that her favorite un-living playmate wasn’t going to be there, but Spike shut her whining down quickly with a vicious look followed by the promise of double chocolate cheesecake.

Xander led Anya up the walkway to Spike’s house and rang the doorbell. Spike answered the door wearing a new sports coat and pants and a huge grin. “Hey, Boss!”

“Hello, Master William, my don’t you look spiffy tonight! Could it be that you were able to afford the new duds with the monster sized bonus we just earned?” Xander asked in his best fake English accent.

“Why yes it is! Mind if I borrow your fiancée for a celebratory grope?” Spike asked as he whipped Anya up into his arms and twirled her around the foyer.

“Whee!” Anya giggled at the Slayer.

Xander laughed at the scene. It was great to see Spike so happy for a change. He’d been really depressed after getting ripped out of Heaven and who could blame him for that? The mistake that the Scoobies had made was horrible, but there was no taking it back. Now they had to make the best of what they had here on Earth.

Spike stopped spinning Anya and put her down. Anya looked up at Spike with a disappointed look. “Do it again! You’re better than a carnival ride!”

Xander pulled her towards him. “Enough, An, no more riding my friends for the evening.”

Spike started to walk down the hall to the kitchen, motioning for Anya and Xander to follow. “Come on, guys! Champagne toast in the kitchen.”

Willow and Dawn were in the kitchen struggling with a bottle of bubbly. Willow snarled at the stubborn cork. “Stupid thing won’t come out!”

Spike gently took the bottle from her and easily popped the cork out. “Here you go, Wils.” He said while he pulled her in for a hug. “No problems tonight, I promise. We’re all going to take it easy and have some fun for a change.”

Willow smiled at her best friends Spike and Xander. If she didn’t have them in her life she didn’t know how she would be able to handle what she was going through right now. For this one moment she felt completely normal again. They were all there together and everything seemed like it was really going to be all right.

Dawn poured five glasses of champagne and Spike gave her a disapproving look. “Who’s the fifth glass for?”

Dawn smiled at her older brother. “Me?”

“No.”

Anya snorted. “Oh come on! Give the girl a sip!”

Spike shrugged. “One sip!”

Dawn jumped in delight. “Cool!”

Xander raised his glass. “Okay, I’d like to propose a toast. To better times and the friends we have to share them with.”

All the friends clinked their glasses and toasted one another. “To better times!”

 

Buffy sat on the railing on the Summers’ back porch watching the scene inside unfold. They looked so happy and she was so miserable that she could taste a bitterness in her mouth. The Slayer was smiling and saying they were going to be late for their dinner reservations at Sergio’s. Then Buffy heard that they were planning on going to the Bronze afterward for drinks and dancing.

“Well, I can’t crash dinner, but I certainly be at the Bronze when they get there. And then he’ll see me having just as good a time without him.” Buffy jumped off the railing and headed back to her crypt to change her outfit.

When the gang reached the Bronze the place was already packed with high school and college aged kids. The DJ was pumping out some loud techno music and the dance floor was a jam of people.

Xander and Spike were sitting together at a high top table watching the girls on the dance floor when both of them spotted a gorgeous blond in a blue silk mini dress and black go-go boots in the center of the dance floor. Her back was turned to them, but she was stunning all the same and she had a crowd of guys vying for her attention.

Xander looked over at his best friend watching this girl move. It had been a long time since Spike had had a girlfriend. Xander expected he was getting pretty lonely by now. Maybe since things were looking up, Xander should try to play matchmaker and find his bud a gal pal. He may be a mythical warrior, but he was still a man and a man had needs.

Xander leaned into Spike’s ear. “Check her out - devil with the blue dress on. Too bad I’m already engaged to a beautiful demon of my very own.”

Spike smiled and nodded in agreement. “Yeah! She’s tasty. Look at those leg muscles. I bet she works out.”

But she’s not as strong as me. I’d probably kill her if I let loose with her. I can’t be myself with her like I can be when I’m with . . . “Buffy?!” Spike exclaimed suddenly.

Xander looked back at the girl in the blue dress and sure enough that was Buffy cutting a rug out there with every man in the place drooling over her. “Oh my God! Talk about Devil! I don’t think I’ve ever seen her out of her black jeans and black shirt combo. Is she wearing new boots?”

“I have,” Spike thought to himself. “I’ve seen her out of everything including her boots. I’ve seen her in nothing but her black nail polish and a necklace!” 

Spike watched in disgust as a handsome yet grungy young man put his hands around Buffy’s waist and pulled her close to him. A strange sick feeling came over Spike suddenly at the sight of another man’s hands on Buffy’s body. “Unbelievable! What the Hell do I care? Why would I care?”

Xander smacked Spike on the back. “Congratulations, Buddy! Today has been a very good day. First, we all get money and Buffy finally has a new object of obsession. Or several from the looks of it.”

Spike nodded absently and got up off his stool. “I’m gonna go get another drink, you want?”

Xander shook his head. “No, I’m good.” He said as Spike walked away.

Buffy had seen the look on Spike’s face when that guy had rubbed up against her. The Slayer was jealous and she knew it! This was perfect! A little tiny bit of revenge had been in order and now she’d had it. So why didn’t she feel any better about it?

The guy with the over active libido was trying to feel her up again and Buffy wasn’t interested anymore. She turned and walked away only to have him follow her off the dance floor. “Oh great! That’s all I need. A puppy.”

To avoid anymore contact Buffy ducked into the ladies powder room where she found Dawn putting on some lipstick while looking in the large mirror. Buffy smiled. She was so very glad to see her Little Bit. She snuck up quietly behind her knowing that the girl couldn’t see the vampire approaching. “Boo.”

Dawn jumped a mile and squealed in fright. Turning she saw Buffy giggling at her. “Oh my God! Buffy! You freaked me out!” Dawn paused to take in Buffy’s new look. “Wow, Buffy! You look great! How come you don’t dress like that more often?”

If Buffy could blush she would have. “Really? I really look good? ‘Cause I wasn’t sure about the color and it took me forever to put the red lipstick on. It’s not smeared is it?”

“No, it’s fine, but it’s a little faded. Here let me help you.”

The two girls sat down on the couch in the ladies room and Dawn pulled out a red lipstick from her purse. “Okay, and as usual, Buffy, hold still.”

Buffy watched as Dawn fumbled with the lipstick because of the cast on her arm. Then the teenager started to apply the lipstick to her cold lips. “How’s your arm feel, luv?”

Dawn pulled the lipstick away quickly. “Buffy! I said hold still! No talking! Or else I’ll leave you looking like Bobo the Clown.”

“Bozo.”

“Huh?”

“It’s Bozo the Clown.”

“Whatever. Just hold still.” Dawn resumed her task and when she’d finished she smiled. “There. Perfect. And it still hurts but not as bad - my arm.”

“Thanks, Dawn. Are they taking good care of you or do I need to start cracking skulls?”

“Everything’s fine, but I kinda miss you being around to hang with. I know you probably don’t miss my experimental makeovers or playing gin rummy until midnight, but. . .”

Buffy lightly grabbed Dawn’s shoulders. “No! I do miss you! I miss coming over every night. I miss eating popcorn and letting you paint my toenails that God awful pink. You’re my Sweet Bit, don’t ever think I don’t want to see you.”

“Well then where the Hell have you been? I’ve barely seen you these last couple of months and when I do see you, we never talk. And the other day when Spike kicked you out. What was that all about? What’s going on with you two? And don’t lie, I know something’s up.”

Buffy was taken aback. What was she going to say? She couldn’t tell Dawn that she and Spike had shagged each other senseless and now were fighting about it on a regular basis. But then again she couldn’t lie to her either.

“Well, Dawn, it’s complicated. Your brother and I, we, we just don’t always see eye to eye on things. You know that. He’s having trouble adjusting and I was trying to help but . . .”

“He doesn’t want your help.”

“Right.”

Dawn got up and went back over to the mirror and started to brush her hair. “He doesn’t want anybody’s help. He’s the hero. ‘Don’t worry Dawnie; I’ll do it all. I’ll earn the money, slay the demons and cook dinner.’ Then while he’s doing all that by himself I get to be home alone. Well, maybe not alone, I get to be with Willow who’s addicted to black magic and barely can take care of herself anymore let alone me. Not that I don’t love her, but she’s got her own problems, ya know?”

Buffy came up behind Dawn and took the hairbrush from her. Buffy started to brush Dawn’s long brown hair. “It will get better, Princess. I promise. I’ll see to it.”

“How? You said it yourself. He doesn’t want your help.”

“There’s a difference between wanting and needing. He just needs some time to realize that there are other people out there that can help him. And when he does, I’ll be there to help. Until then, just hold tight.”

Dawn nodded in agreement and watched in the mirror, as her hair seemed to magically get brushed by an invisible person.

Spike and Willow went over to the table where Anya and Xander were sitting. Willow yawned. She was exhausted, finally. She couldn’t wait to go back home and go to bed. Spike could see the fatigue in her face and decided it was time to take Willow and Dawn home.

Spike put his hand on Xander’s back. “Okay, man, I’m going to take the women home. Willow? You ready?”

Willow smiled in relief. “Oh yeah! I’m partied out.”

Spike looked around the Bronze for a sign of his little sister. “Where’s Dawn?”

“She said she was going to the Ladies room, but that was a while ago.” Anya replied.

Spike shook his head. Maybe a leash wasn’t such a bad idea! “Okay, I’ll go find her and then we’ll go.” Spike said as he walked off over to the restroom area.  
Standing outside the Ladies room Spike could hear his little sister’s voice as she giggled. Spike looked around carefully to make sure no one saw him enter the “No Males Allowed” zone. When he entered the restroom he saw Buffy standing behind Dawn playing with her hair. The vampire had Dawn’s hair up in pigtails and kept saying things like: “Oh my God! It’s a scary monster!” Then she would pull the pigtails up in the air and Dawn would make a scared face and say: “Ah! Help! Help!” They looked like they were having a fun time with each other; Spike almost didn’t want to stop them.

“Hey! Dawn, it’s time to go home.” Spike said interrupting their game.

“Spike!” Dawn whined. “It’s only 10:30! And what are you doing in the Ladies Room?”

“Yeah, Slayer! What if I was fixin’ my stockings?” Buffy asked sarcastically.

“You don’t wear stockings.” Spike replied flatly.

Buffy smirked and whispered. “You should know.”

Spike grabbed his sister gently and pulled her out of the restroom. “Bye, Buffy!” Dawn called as Spike herded her back to the table where Willow was waiting.

“Goodnight, Niblet!” Buffy yelled over the din of the music. “Goodnight, Slayer,” she whispered to herself sadly as she made her way to the coat check room. It was time to go home, have a pint and watch the telly until the wee hours.

Buffy went out the back door of the Bronze as usual and made her way out into the alley. She stopped briefly to light up her cigarette and was about to start walking home when she heard a movement behind her.

“Leaving so soon? We didn’t get to finish our dance.”

It was the grungy guy who’d followed her off the dance floor earlier. Normally, Buffy would be interested, but right now, in her current circumstance, she just wasn’t into casual relationships anymore. This decidedly uninteresting human boy had nothing she wanted, unless he was willing to cut his wrists for her.

The young man boldly pushed her up against the brick wall of the club and attempted to kiss her. “Whoa, whoa, whoa there! Thanks, but no thanks, mate.” Buffy said as she dodged his lips and started to walk away again.

The man grabbed Buffy roughly by her hair and sneered at her. “Oh, we’re not finished here, sweetheart! We’ve only just started.”

Buffy was disgusted. How dare this wanker think he can just take her? She was Elizabeth the Bloody for God’s sake! She pushed him off of her and sent him flying into the dumpster. As the young man hit the ground Buffy’s chip in her brain fired off a jolt of pain sending her reeling backwards. “Ahh . . Ow!”

He was on her again and this time he was even more brutal. He pulled out a handgun and smacked Buffy in the face with the handle. “See! This is what you get for being such a fucking cock tease!”

Despite the pain she was feeling Buffy laughed out loud. “A tease? I danced with you for all of three minutes - you bloody git! You’ve got to be fucking joking!”

He answered her by punching her in the stomach causing her to double over. If she’d had to breathe, it would have knocked the wind out of her. “It’s sluts like you that make me do these things!”

Buffy was getting truly pissed off now. “Slut? Oh, sod this!” She retaliated by slapping him in the face sending him spinning to the ground. Once again her chip went off and this time its jolt was fiercer than the last. Buffy fell to her knees. As she tried to get up to run away, her attacker pounced on top of her and began to strangle her throat. Buffy didn’t have to breathe, of course, but if she wanted to scream for help she’d need her vocal cords to do so. He wasn’t letting up and to his surprise, she wasn’t loosing consciousness, but he was severely bruising her neck.

Buffy yet again threw the-would-be rapist off and crawled to her hands and knees. But he grabbed her by the hair and wrenched her head back pointing the handgun to her head. “Move or scream and I’ll blow your fucking head off.”

Buffy wasn’t really afraid of being shot, it wouldn’t kill her, but she’d rather not lose half of her brain in the bargain. She remained still as he pulled her dress up and cut the crotch of her panties out with a pocketknife.

“This bloke carries more weapons than I do!” she thought.

As he cut the fabric of her undergarment he inadvertently nicked one of her labia causing a dull aching pain throughout her nether regions. She could feel her blood dripping down her thighs as he then violently shoved three fingers inside of her.

Buffy choked back a sob. A feeling of complete and utter helplessness settled into her heart. She suddenly wished that the Slayer had not left. If he would have stayed, certainly he would have come and saved her from this humiliating fate. 

Over and over again Buffy’s brain repeated: “This is not happening. This is not happening. This cannot be happening to me! I’m the Big Bad! I’m the Big Bad! Big Bads don’t get raped in alleys!”

But this Big Bad Vampire needed a hero and fast!

In a last ditch effort to flee, Buffy pulled away from the man and tried to scramble to her feet. The gun he was holding went off and a bullet grazed the side of her head.

At the same time, Xander and Anya happened to be walking to their car when they heard a gun shot. They went running towards the alley and found Buffy fighting off a man with a gun. She punched him hard and then she dropped to the pavement screaming in pain and holding her head gushing with blood.

Xander was horrified at the sight before him when he realized what Buffy was up against. “Oh my God! He’s human!” He yelled to his fiancée. 

Anya too was shocked at this scene and the realization it brought with it. “That means she can’t fight back!”

Suddenly Xander didn’t see Buffy as an undead, bloodsucking fiend who’d tried to kill him on more than one occasion. He saw her as a victim in need of help. The street lamp sent a beam of light onto Buffy’s body. Xander saw the rivulets of blood pouring down the vampire’s inner thighs. He knew exactly what this scumbag was up to and he broke into a run in order to come to Buffy’s aid.

“Hey Man! What’s goin’ on? Ever hear the expression ‘No means No’?” Xander yelled out as he approached the extremely hostile situation before him.

The guy simply laughed and pointed his gun at Xander. “Ever hear the expression ‘Don’t stick your nose where it don’t belong’?” He cocked the hammer back. “You might just lose that nose and your whole fucking face!”

Anya’s heart jumped into her throat as she saw her soul mate’s life being threatened. She broke into a run towards Xander and Buffy. “Xander! No!” She screamed.

The gun fired off one shot at Xander’s chest, but just as it was to meet its mark, Buffy jumped in front of her “hero” and took the bullet into her own heart for the ‘whelp’.

Buffy felt a white hot pain shoot through her chest and her demonic anger flared forth. Her features changed abruptly as she vamped out and let loose a terrifying growl at the guy. Finally, this human monster was truly frightened as he turned on his heels and ran off.

Buffy’s face slipped back into her human visage as she collapsed to her knees, bleeding profusely from both her chest and her temple. She let out an inappropriate giggle as she nonchalantly said, “I should’ve just gone all bumpy in the first place! Bloody tosser caught me off guard.”

Buffy was trying to hold herself together as best she could while fighting the excruciating pain her body was experiencing. Holding back her tears, she pulled her packet of cigarettes out of her duster’s pocket and lit one up.

Anya and Xander could see how traumatized this vampire girl was by the way she was rocking back and forth on her knees and how her hands were barely able to hold the cigarette as she brought it up to her lips for a drag.

Xander reached down to try to help Buffy to her feet and she immediately lashed out at him. “I don’t need your sodding help! I’m fine, Monkey Boy! If you hadn’t barged in I wouldn’t have this hole in my chest!”

Anya put her hand on Xander’s shoulder. “Give her some space, Xander. She just had a severely traumatizing experience, believe me; I’ve seen it thousands of times. When I was a vengeance demon, I got called in on the ‘date rape’ scenario a lot.”

“I don’t want your bleedin’ sympathy. I’m fine! I’m the Big Bad! I’m the Big Bad!” Buffy sobbed. She was losing it in front of the humans and it was too much for her to take. She put pressure on the wound in her chest and quickly as she could she left the alley.

Dawn was in the kitchen attempting to conduct her cereal experiment with boxes of Wheaties, Fruit Loops, Count Chocula and Frosted Flakes when she heard something on the back porch. Scared out of her mind, Dawn slowly approached the back door just to check to see if it was locked. She wasn’t alone in the house, Willow was upstairs, but she was fast asleep and Spike was out on patrol. Dawn peaked through the blinds covering the back door and gasped at the sight before her.

Dawn opened the door and approached Buffy who was trying to lean on the railing for support. She was covered in blood and bruises and shivering. She seemed almost oblivious to Dawn’s presence. Dawn slowly walked over to the beaten vampire and touched her shoulder lightly. “Buffy?”

Buffy sucked in a ragged breath in order to speak. “Little Bit, so cold. I’m so cold.”

Dawn reached up and brushed Buffy’s hair away from her face. She had a gash on her right temple and purple bruise on her left cheek. The evidence of fresh tears streaked down her cheeks in black mascara. Dawn had never seen her so wounded; not even after what Glory had done to her did Buffy look so defeated. The way she looked right now had Dawn frightened. “Come on, come inside.”

Dawn led Buffy into the kitchen and helped her out of her coat. The teenager let out a horrified gasp at the sight of Buffy’s blood stained dress. “Oh my God! Buffy! What happened to you? Who did this?”

Buffy closed her eyes and tried to speak, but only broke down in tears. Covering her face with her bloody hands Buffy sank to the floor and hid her face. 

Dawn sat down next to her on the floor. Putting her arms around Buffy, she held her as she cried. Buffy let her hands fall away from her face and she reached out and hugged Dawn back. She was holding onto this sweet human girl for dear life, or un-life as it were. She didn’t judge Buffy; she just helped her. Dawn was never mean to her, well, except that one time, but Buffy had deserved it.

As she lay in this young lady’s embrace she knew why she loved her so much. Buffy knew that caring for Dawn had been the only good and selfless thing she’d done in her entire existence. Buffy sniffled a little and looked up at the girl. “Bit? You know you’re the best person on this planet, right?”

Dawn let out a little laugh. “No, I’m not. I’m just as bad as everybody else.”

Buffy frowned at her. “Don’t ever say that. You are the most precious person in the world, in my world.”

Dawn helped Buffy to her feet. “What about my brother? I thought you loved him most of all.”

Buffy steadied herself by holding onto the counter. “I love him more than I can tell you, but it’s not the same kind of love.”

“What kind is it?”

“The same kind that made him jump off that tower.”

 

Spike was in the cemetery, sitting on a grave – his own grave. He hadn’t been back to see it since he’d crawled out of it. It was weird. The ground was still uneven from where he’d fought his way out of it a couple of months before and the headstone was staring back silently mocking him.

“This is where I should be. This is where I belonged. At peace.”

But there was no peace for the Slayer. Now he was definitely not at peace. He was feeling jealous about seeing Buffy dance with another man. He was angry with himself for feeling jealous. He was feeling guilty for wanting her in his arms, in his mouth, underneath him, on top of him, everywhere at once. Every time he closed his eyes he could see it happening over and over again. He remembered the feel of her breasts rubbing against his chest as he pounded her against the wall of the crumbling house. He could still hear her scream as she came shuddering around his cock.

Spike shivered and tried to ignore the instant erection he’d gotten by just thinking about it for a second. The things they had done to each other that night were carved on his soul and he could not escape it. But he couldn’t do it again. He wouldn’t do it again - ever. That night with Buffy was past and he had to accept it and move on. “Now if I can just get her to stop trying to see me in that way!”

Spike was still angry and jealous and guilt-ridden when he effortlessly ripped his head stone out of the ground and threw it across the graveyard and into the side of large crypt. The headstone shattered into a thousand pieces and fell to the ground. He was furious with himself and Buffy, but at least was he was feeling something. He felt alive!

Spike looked at the dusty remains of his headstone there on the ground. “Won’t being needing one of those any time soon,” he said as he started his walk home.


	4. Chapter 4

Careful What You Wish For

Summary: Dawn makes a wish without knowing it will change the world she lives in. Buffy/Spike Romance

Setting: Season 6 – Post-“Wrecked”

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss & Company.

Author’s Note: I have taken the premise for this fan fic from a story written by Karen & Meredith called “Walk a Mile”.

Buffy was asleep on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her. She’d finally passed out in exhaustion after the impromptu surgery Willow and Xander performed to get the bullet out of her back. The bullet had entered through her chest and then lodged in her back just above her left shoulder blade. Dawn had tried to help, but she just didn’t have the stomach to cut her open with a utility knife.

Dawn had to wake up Willow to come down stairs to help and just as Willow was examining Buffy, Xander and Anya arrived.

Xander was actually relieved to see that Buffy was there. “Geez, Buffy! Way to run off, we would have given you a ride.”

“We went to your crypt, but you weren’t there and we couldn’t find Spike, so we thought we’d try here.” Anya said.

Buffy was surprised at their concern. “Why? Why would you try to find me?”

Xander and Anya didn’t know what to say. Neither of them knew why they cared what happened to her, but they did. “I don’t know. It just seemed like the right thing to do.” Xander offered. “Besides, I’ve helped dig foreign objects out of your back before, wouldn’t wanna miss that.”

Buffy actually smiled at the comment. “Oh yeah! Déjà bloody vu – at least this time it’s just a bullet and not a tracking device.”

“I’ll get the whiskey! You want whiskey right? Like last time?” Anya asked.

“Yeah, whiskey will work.” Buffy said as tried her best to wipe the still wet tears from her face.

Right then Willow took charge of the situation. “Okay, Anya, there’s a bottle of scotch in the liquor cabinet in the dining room, but get her a plastic cup, just in case she drops it during the procedure, like last time. Xander, get a few large garbage bags from underneath the sink. We’ll cover the dining room table and floor and use that as an operating table. Dawn, go upstairs and get my old blue robe out of my closet, she can wear that during the surgery and I don’t care if it gets blood on it. I’ll get the first aid kit and a sharp knife.”

All four humans scattered off to their respective tasks leaving Buffy standing alone in the kitchen. “Circle the wagons, the cavalry has arrived.”

The surgery went pretty smooth all things considered. Dawn had tried to hold Buffy’s hand through the ordeal, but she’d refused. “Ah, no, Sweet Bit, I don’t wanna squeeze too hard and break any more of your bones.”

It had taken about four glasses of scotch and three of Dawn’s pain pills to get Buffy to the right level of loopyness in order to cut open her back. Once Xander had fished out the bullet, Willow sewed the wound up with needle and thread and then flipped her over to do the same to the hole in her chest. Buffy had laughed a bit when she’d opened the robe to reveal her naked torso. “Oh, this is so much less humiliating than getting attacked in an alley.”

Anya poked Xander in the side. “Stop looking at her breasts, Xander!”

Xander rolled his eyes at his fiancée. “I’m not looking looking, Anya. I’m pointing the flashlight on her chest so Willow can look at her breasts. Okay, that didn’t sound right either.”

Willow hissed at both of them. “Will you two shut up? Do you want me to sew crookedly?”

Buffy laughed again. “Yeah, shut up. Let Dr. Rosenberg finish looking at my boobs.”

Willow shook her head. “I wasn’t, I, uh, I don’t want to look at them! Well, I just have to look at them.”

Buffy got a little offended. “What? What’s wrong with ‘em?”

“Nothing, they’re fine.” Willow stammered.

“Just fine? That’s it?”

“They’re great, nice and perky! Kind of like mine. Although mine probably won’t look as good next century,” Anya offered.

Buffy started to giggle uncontrollably.

Dawn looked worriedly at the others and then back at Buffy. “That was funny, but not that funny. Buffy? You okay?”

“I’m fine, Niblet. I’m bloody wonderful. Here I am getting sewed up on your dining room table after getting some of my just desserts for all the evil I’ve done.” Buffy said quietly as the tears started to form in her eyes again.

Dawn brushed Buffy’s hair away from her face again and stroked her head lightly. “Shh, you should try to sleep. Willow’s almost done.”

“I deserved it, you know. I led him on, dancin’ the way I was, wearing what I was wearin’. He called me a tease. Ha! If he only knew!” Tears in Buffy’s eyes had spilled down the sides of her face and she was visibly shaking again.

Willow finished her task and closed the front of Buffy’s robe. “You know, Buffy, sexual assault isn’t about sex. It’s about power and violence . . .”

Buffy sat up slowly. “You think I don’t know about those things, Red? I was drunk on violence and power for over a century and look where it got me! It got me stuck in an alley with a psychotic human who I couldn’t fight off. I should’ve just let him blow my brains out. That way I wouldn’t have to remember what he did to me.”

Dawn started to cry. “Don’t say that! It wasn’t your fault! Okay, you’ve done some horrible things Buffy, I know ‘cause you told me about them. But, you’ve also done some really good things and I’m not saying you’ve made up for everything you’ve done, but you did not deserve this!”

Buffy hid her face in her hands again and whimpered. She wished they weren’t all there staring at her. She wished she hadn’t made Dawn cry.

“You saved my life tonight.” Xander said breaking the tension. Buffy looked over to the young man with whom she usually fought on a regular basis. “You were walking Kevlar for me. If you hadn’t done that, we’d be yucking it up down at the morgue instead of here.”

“And I would have ended up a widow before I even got married. And that would have been. . .” Anya put her arms around Xander’s waist and held him close. “I don’t think I would’ve lived through that.”

“And you-you punched Tara.” Willow offered. “Which normally wouldn’t be a good thing, but you showed her that she wasn’t a demon and that was a really good thing.”

Dawn put her hand in Buffy’s. “And you let Glory beat the crap out of you to protect me, and you got bit by that Ghora demon and you got thrown off of the tower and-and-and you let me paint your toenails pink even though you hate it.”

Buffy squeezed Dawn’s hand lightly, wiped her tears and shook her head at the Scooby club. “All right! Enough of this bloody Hallmark moment. I’m gonna get in the shower and wash some more of my blood down the drain.”

Buffy hopped off the table and headed towards the stairs where she stopped and looked back at them. “Oh, by the way, I’m sorry for all the shit I’ve ever put you through.” The group just stared in shock at her admission of remorse. Buffy patted her chest indicating her injury. “Thanks for fixing me.”

Xander, Anya and Willow began to sputter out “You’re Welcomes” and “It was nothing” but Buffy stopped them by raising her hand. “Again! Enough of this mushy gushy human sentiment! Okay?”

Dawn walked over to Buffy, took her hand and led her up stairs. “I’ll show you where the towels are.”

Twenty minutes later, Buffy and Dawn descended the stairs together. Dawn was in her yummy ice cream pajamas and Buffy was wearing an old tee shirt that belonged to Spike and a pair of Dawn’s underpants and pajama bottoms that were a little too long so she had to roll them up at the ankle. 

Buffy had felt weird about wearing Dawn’s underwear, but Dawn knew she needed them from seeing the blood on her thighs. Dawn showed Buffy how to put a panty liner into the underwear. Buffy shook her head at the concept. “It’s been a very long time since I’ve needed anything of the sort. But these are great! I wish they’d had these in the Nineteenth Century.”

“Why don’t you lie down and I’ll go get you some cocoa, okay?” Dawn said as she handed Buffy a blanket.

“With marshmallows?” Buffy asked hopefully.

“Sure, with marshmallows.”

When Dawn entered the kitchen she heard the Scooby gang discussing what had happened to their not so reluctant vampire ally.

Xander shook his head in disbelief. “What was up with that? You think she’s really sorry? I mean how can she be? She’s not Drusilla all cursed with a soul.”

Willow shrugged. “I don’t know Xander. Maybe she’s just been hanging out with humans so much that we’re beginning to rub off on her. I mean she did help us all summer when Spike was dead and she didn’t even know that we were going to try and bring him back. If she was totally evil, she would have just left after he was gone, right?”

“You know, not all demons are totally evil. There are a lot of species that don’t do anything that would be considered any more evil than what most humans do.” Anya said defiantly.

“Like which species?” Willow asked.

“Well, there’s the Racknar species that feeds on cows only. We humans do that every day, with the milk and the hamburgers and all. Are they totally evil?” Anya asked.

Xander was surprised. “Really? They live on hamburgers?”

“No, they just drink their blood and eat the sexual organs. Most humans write it off as Alien cattle mutilations, but it’s just the Racknar.”

Willow went to the refrigerator; all this cow talk was making her thirsty for cookies and milk. As she poured herself a glass, she continued to voice her thoughts on the Buffy issue. “But, Buffy is a vampire not a Racknar demon, we’ve all seen what she’s capable of. But, then that was before the government got a hold of her and before . . .”

“Before she fell in love with my brother.” Dawn said as she put the kettle on the stove.

Xander shuddered at the thought. “Yeah, before she got obsessed with your brother.”

“It’s not obsession, Xander. She really does love him.” Dawn defended.  
“But, Dawnie, she doesn’t have a soul, and that makes her evil.” Xander said quietly.

“And the fact that the guy who tried to rape her tonight had a soul makes him what? Good? You know, I’m beginning to think that there’s just as many soulful monsters in the world as there are soulless ones!”

Spike opened the front door and took off his coat. He was exhausted from patrol and doing way too much thinking. All he wanted now was a hot shower and a warm bed.

As he walked into the living room he saw a small figure curled up on the couch underneath a blanket. Spike recognized that blond head of hair instantly. “Buffy.” He hissed in annoyance at her presence in his home at this late hour. “All right, Buffy! Party’s over, get your dead ass up and out of my house!” Spike whipped the blanket off of her and roughly tugged her up off the couch.

He hadn’t been prepared for the sound that came out of Buffy’s mouth. It was that of a wounded animal, so pain filled and excruciating to hear that he immediately let go of her and she dropped to the floor in a heap.

Then suddenly, the whole gang came running into the room from the kitchen. Dawn was holding a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows, obviously prepared for Buffy. She was furious. “Spike! What did you do?”

Spike was stunned. “I-I just, um. . .” Then Spike saw Buffy rise to her feet holding her chest. He could see the blood begin to seep through the tee shirt she wore as she winced in pain.

Willow furrowed her brow. “Oh, damn! Buffy, you must’ve popped a stitch.”

Buffy looked down at her chest, a single tear fell onto her cheek as she tried to shake the wave of nausea she suddenly felt. Too much alcohol and too little blood, makes Buffy a woozy vamp.

Spike was so confused. The last time he saw her this evening she was playing ghost in the mirror with Dawn and now she was bruised and bloodied in his living room. “Buffy, what the hell happened to you?”

“You don’t really wanna know, Slayer. No need to rehash the whole nightmare, not much we can do about it now.” Buffy replied.

“Why does she always have to be such a fucking pain in the ass?” Spike thought.

Willow gestured for Buffy to come with her into the kitchen. “Come on, Buffy, I’ll sew you back up.”

“No thanks, Red. I’ll be all healed soon enough.” Buffy went into the foyer and started to put on her boots.

Spike was too tired and too conflicted about his feelings towards Buffy for him to even try being patient with her right now. “Oh for Christ’s sake, Buffy! Just tell me what kind of demon did this to you and I’ll. . .”

“And you’ll what? Slay it for me? Oh that’s rich! Sorry, luv, but this one’s beyond your reach.” Buffy spat back at the Slayer as she gingerly put her duster on.

As if Spike wasn’t pissed before, he was beyond pissed now. “Fine! If you didn’t want my help then what the hell are you doing in my house, uninvited, again?”

Buffy gave Spike a cold smile. “You know what, Slayer? I don’t ever want your help ever again. If I need someone to help me, I’ll go to someone who actually gives a shit about me. And if she happens to live under the same roof as you, well that’s just an inconvenience you’ll have to deal with from time to time. For now, I’m going to just going to get my dead ass out of your house. Good night.” She opened the door and left without another word.

Spike looked at the uncomfortable expression on his friends’ faces and tried to break the tension. “Wow! Guess you guys had a rougher time than I did tonight and I dusted five vampires.”

Dawn took the mug she was holding and threw it at the front door smashing the ceramic and splashing cocoa everywhere.

“Dawn! What the hell is going on?” Spike yelled at his little sister.

“She got sexually assaulted, beaten and shot in the chest tonight! By a human! She couldn’t fight back! And you’re so busy playing ‘Holier than thou’ that you didn’t even notice the bruises on her face before you pulled her off the couch! God! Sometimes, Spike you can be the most incredible asshole!”

Spike sat in the kitchen with a blank expression on his face as his friends recounted the story of Buffy’s ordeal in detail. Spike examined her bloody clothes sitting on the counter in front of him. He held up the blood stained white lace panties. The crotch had been completely ripped out. The bile rose in his throat when he tried to picture what had happened to her. Buffy must have been so scared and so helpless and he wasn’t there to help her. Some sick and twisted monster, no matter how human he was, had tried to rape her - and it was entirely his fault. If he hadn’t pushed her away, she wouldn’t have tried to make him jealous and they could’ve spent tonight in pleasure instead of pain. She didn’t deserve this, no one, not even Buffy deserved this. Why was it he could protect perfect strangers from death and destruction when he couldn’t even protect the ones he loved from the same fate? The pieces fell into place as he stared at his lover’s blood stained clothes.

Spike sighed at his own stupidity. “Dawn was right. I really am an asshole.”

Xander shook his head. “No, no you’re not. You didn’t know this would happen.”

“Shit, Xander! She got brutally attacked, you almost got killed, where the fuck was I?”

“Doing your job, man! You have to patrol. You can’t be everywhere at once.” Xander replied.

“No, I can’t, but I have to be able to at least protect the people that matter most to me! The people I love . . .” Spike stopped his speech and looked at Xander with a look of fierce determination on his face. “You say you got a good look at this son of a bitch?”

Xander was a little frightened by the look on his best friend’s face. “Yeah? Why?”

“Let’s take Anya home, you and I are gonna go for a little ride.”


	5. Chapter 5

Careful What You Wish For

Summary: Dawn makes a wish without knowing it will change the world she lives in. Buffy/Spike Romance

Setting: Season 6 – Post-“Wrecked”

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss & Company.

Author’s Note: I have taken the premise for this fan fic from a story written by Karen & Meredith called “Walk a Mile”.

It was four o’clock in the morning when Spike finally got home. He was both wired and exhausted at the same time. He quietly went up the stairs to the bathroom and began to run the shower. As he brushed his teeth he replayed the night’s events in his head. He knew he’d have to answer some tough questions from Xander, but he’d deal with that tomorrow. Right now he just needed a very hot shower and about twelve hours of sleep. But Spike’s thoughts still raced in his head about what he had said and what he had done.

His best friend had been pretty freaked out by Spike’s behavior, but he had backed him up all the same. Xander is a good friend. Only a true friend would help you haul a limp and beaten body into the trunk of a car.

Anya heard the door to their apartment shut and her eyes snapped open. She glanced at the clock; it was 4:21 a.m. She hurriedly put on her robe and headed out to the kitchen where she found Xander pouring himself a glass of juice. “Xander? Are you all right? I was worried, Spike said you’d only be gone an hour and that was almost four hours ago.”

Xander downed the entire glass of orange juice wishing it was vodka and then poured himself another. “Yeah, well we found who we were looking for.”

“And?”

“And, it’s been taken care of.”

When Xander pointed out the guy at the Pub, Spike recognized him instantly as the guy who’d been trying to practically hump Buffy right there on the dance floor of the Bronze earlier that night. Currently, this prick was cornering another pretty blond against the far wall of the bar. The girl was drunk and was trying her best to push him away. 

Spike grabbed the guy by the back of his neck and wrenched him away from the trembling co-ed. “So you really go for the blonds, don’t you?”

The assailant squirmed out of Spike’s grip. “Who the fuck are you?”

Spike smiled evilly at him. “Oh you don’t know me, but you know a couple of friends of mine.”

Xander was there in an instant to back his friend up. “Remember me?”

“Shit,” was all the guy could say as he bolted out the back door of the bar.

Xander looked at Spike and shook his head. “What a coward!”

Spike and Xander caught up with him within moments and Spike smashed him up against the wall face first. “Now, I’ll tell you what, you don’t struggle and I won’t break every bone in your body.”

The guy just laughed maniacally. “Who do you think you are? Superman? So? Was that blond slut your girlfriend? You should really put a leash on her, or a chastity belt.”

Spike twisted his arm until he could feel the bones begin crunch. The young man started to whine in pain.

Xander approached slowly. “Spike, man, don’t forget, he’s got a. . .”

At the sound of his friend’s voice Spike loosened his grip for a moment. When the-would-be rapist felt this opportunity to reach for his gun, he wasted no time and quickly pulled it out of his coat. With the gun pointed squarely at Spike’s chest, the slayer shot a glare at Xander. As his best friend put his hands up, Xander shrugged. “Dude! Don’t blame me! I tried to tell you he had a gun!”

The sex offender simply laughed and started his maniacal rant again. “Why do you protect sluts and whores like her anyway? She wanted it! They all do. Evil, disgusting things like her deserve to be put down like the bitches they are!”

Spike couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This sick fuck was referring to Buffy as if she were nothing but a thing and not a real person. Then he remembered how only a couple of weeks earlier he had said the exact same thing to Buffy. Spike felt ashamed and furious with himself. Buffy wasn’t just a thing to be put down. She was evil, yes. She could be disgusting when she wanted to be, sure. But she was also devoted and sweet and soft and beautiful. It didn’t matter that she was a vampire. She was his vampire and he’d go to Hell before he’d let this asshole hurt her and get away with it. Never mind the fact that he was threatening to kill both Spike and Xander right now.

With one swift movement Spike snatched the handgun out of their attacker’s hand. It was Spike’s turn to laugh now. Spike waved the gun in the now trembling man’s face. “What’s wrong, buddy? Scared?” With one hand Spike squeezed as hard as he could and crushed the gun into bits and pieces of useless metal.

Xander was amazed. He’d seen Spike do some pretty amazing things before, but this was new. “Very cool, my friend.”

Spike didn’t hear Xander. He didn’t hear anything anymore except the echo of Buffy’s pained yelp that she had made when he had grabbed her off the couch a couple of hours ago. Over and over he could hear her cry. Now all he wanted was to make this guy feel the same way. He wanted him to cry.

But he was already crying as Spike approached him. “Please! No, no, no!”

But Spike didn’t hear his pleas. Spike’s right hand closed around the man’s throat and began to throttle him. Lifting him off the ground Spike yelled in his face. “She’s not a thing! Do you hear me? How dare you touch her! No one touches her! She’s mine! She’s mine!”

Xander was yelling. Spike could hear it in the distance as if he were miles away. Then Spike felt a hard smack on his back. Spike let go of the man and they both fell to the ground. Xander had hit him!

Xander stood over his friend holding a large chunk of wood he’d found in the alley. When Spike had ignored his pleas to stop strangling the guy he had to snap him out of it. “Jesus Christ! Spike! You could’ve killed him!”

Spike shook off the pain in his back and slowly stood up. “You-you hit me?”

“Yeah! I had to! The guy was turning blue, he couldn’t breathe!”

Spike looked at the unconscious man crumpled on the ground. He reached over and felt for a pulse. The guy was unconscious, but alive. “It’s OK, Xander. He’ll live. Now help me get him up.”

Xander stepped back away from Spike. “Why? What are you going to do to him?”

“Make him pay.”

Xander was more than a little scared now. “Pay? How exactly?”

“Don’t worry, Xandman. Just trust me.”

Buffy had gone home to her crypt and drank every drop of blood in her little refrigerator and an entire bottle of bourbon before passing out on her bed still wearing the pajamas Dawn had lent her. That had been twelve hours ago.

When she woke up the tiny alarm clock on her bedside table read 5:51 p.m. Slowly she rose from her four-poster bed and shuffled over to the coffin that doubled as her dresser. Opening it she took out her vampire uniform - black jeans, tight black mini tee shirt and her Docs - she quickly changed back into these clothes. She only paused for a few moments to check her wounds. The bullet hole in her chest was very close to healed and she gingerly felt in between her legs to make sure all was healed down there. Much to her relief she felt no pain and saw no blood on her fingers or the panty liner.

“Thank God! Didn’t fancy living like one of those poor circumcised Muslim women for all eternity!”

Running her hands through her blond tresses, Buffy put her hair back into a ponytail and secured it with one of the elastic hair bands Dawn had given her. She climbed her ladder and sauntered over to her television set. Turning it on, she began to search her living room for that last bottle of Jim Beam she knew was hiding somewhere.

“Jimmy! Jimmy! Come out, come out wherever you are!”

Buffy located it underneath her television set and was about to open it up when a familiar face on the screen scared the daylights out of her. “Bloody Hell!”

There on the TV was the face of the man who’d beaten her last night. She quickly turned the volume up and settled into her armchair to hear the news report.

“The F.B.I. was right here in Sunnydale today and they confirmed the identity of the man found handcuffed on the steps of Sunnydale Police Headquarters early this morning. He has been identified as 27-year-old convicted serial killer, Carl Reynolds, who escaped custody of U.S. Marshals earlier this month during his extradition from Oregon to California. He was to stand trial in LA County for seven counts of rape, two counts of assault and three counts of murder in the first degree. F.B.I. spokesperson described Reynolds as ‘a monster not fit to live in a human society.’ If convicted on all charges, Reynolds faces up to 200 years in prison.”

The scene on the screen changed to footage of Carl being put into a police wagon. He was struggling and cursing. What wasn’t bleeped out for broadcast was barely intelligible but Buffy could distinctly hear what the son of a bitch was saying over and over again. “Superman did it! Him and Jimmy Olsen turned me in! But I didn’t have any Kryptonite! Superman brought me to justice! Hahahaha! *Bleep*-ing Superman!”

“So, my hero avenged me! Probably just pissed ‘cause that prat almost killed Xander.” Buffy opened her bottle of booze and started to drink herself into a depression.

Xander sat at the reading table of the Magic Box eating Chinese take out with Anya as she reconciled the day’s receipts.

Xander poked at his pork lo mein and sighed.

Anya looked up. “What? You’re making those sad and concerned noises again. What’s wrong?”

“I’m a little worried about Spike.”

Anya put down her account ledger and picked up her chopsticks. “Why?   
He got the bad guy and he didn’t even kill him. I would have killed him.”

“It wasn’t what he did so much. He was totally justified in beating the guy up a little and scaring him. It was more what he said while he was doing it.”

“What did he say?”

“He was all ‘How dare you touch her! No one touches her! She’s mine, she’s mine!’ And all the while he’s choking the guy and he wouldn’t stop not even when I yelled at him. I had to smack him in the kidneys to get him to stop.”

“That’s weird. What do you think is going on there?”

Xander shook his head, exhausted with the thoughts running around in his brain. “I don’t know, An. I haven’t seen him that angry since, God, since. . .”

“Since when?”

Xander looked up at his fiancée. “Since Glory took Dawn.”

“You don’t think him and Buffy. . ?”

“No, no way. That’s just too weird. I mean I know Spike doesn’t hate Buffy anymore, but he’s not exactly in the ‘like’ category with her either. If I had to describe it, I’d say he’s in the ‘I barely tolerate her’ category, barely.”

Anya put her beef and broccoli down and thought a moment. “What about what he said last night?”

“What?”

“He said he needed to protect the people who mattered most to him; the ones he loved.”

Xander smirked a little. “Well, I thought he was just talking about us, you, me, Dawn, the rest of the gang.”

“Maybe he wasn’t just talking about us. Maybe Buffy matters more to him than any of us thought.”

Dawn switched the news off and crawled into her big brother’s lap like she used to when she was a little girl. “You and Xander did that didn’t you?”

“Yeah, we did. So, you forgive me for last night?”

“Yes, I do.” Dawn hooked her good arm around Spike’s neck and squeezed. “Thank you. You did good. You should go over and tell Buffy you got the guy.”

“Maybe I should drop in before patrol. Just to make sure she’s all right. Not trying to plot my death again.”

Dawn rolled her eyes at her brother. “Yeah right! She’d sooner take a walk down the beach at noon wearing nothing but a bikini and a smile than try to kill you again.”

Spike mentally paused at the thought of Buffy in a bikini. He could picture her in his mind wearing nothing but a string bikini and a barely there thong.

“Stop it, Spike! Geez! No more sex games with the undead, no matter how beautiful she is!” he berated himself inwardly.

“Okay, Dawnie, let’s eat dinner and then I’ll be going out later for patrol. Willow will be here and I don’t plan on being too late tonight.”

“So what are we having? Not macaroni and cheese again?”

Spike got up and headed towards the kitchen. “No, it meatloaf night!”

Dawn rolled her eyes behind her brother’s back and mumbled to herself. “Oh great! Burnt mystery meat with ketchup. Yum!”

Buffy lay on top of the stone sarcophagus inside her crypt. After polishing off her last bottle of bourbon Buffy had stumbled out and procured more alcohol as well as four pints of cows blood. She drank two pints for dinner and saved the rest for later. She was now sipping on her third bottle of alcohol and feeling ill for it.

“I should really learn to pace myself. You’d think after a century of drinking I’d have learned my lesson by now.”

Buffy thought more about her disastrous un-life. Lessons learned and promptly forgotten.

Why did she constantly make the same mistakes over and over? Why couldn’t she just get it through her thick skull that she didn’t belong here in Sunny Dee with the Slayer; she didn’t really belong anywhere.

She’d been shunned her whole life and un-life. When she was a real live girl she had been a pathetic mousy spinster mooning over a wrong man who would never love her. Writing poetry about him hadn’t done anything except earn her a Bloody Awful nickname and the ridicule of her peers. He was a love that she would never have and her sometime friend, Cecily, had no qualms about telling poor Elizabeth the sad truth – she was beneath him.

Buffy had met her death when she met Angel in that dark London alleyway the very same night so many years ago. It was then she’d thought she’d found her place and her calling. Her passion for destruction was boundless and Angel was right there with her. But when they had come to the Hell mouth all that had changed. Drusilla was here with the slayer and as soon as Spike had given Ole Dru her big happy moment everything in Buffy’s life went to shit. Angel dropped her crippled body into a wheelchair and left her for bigger and badder pastures.

Buffy hated Dru with a passion. Stupid Irish bitch of a grand-sire, always mucking everything up! When she wasn’t being all soul having and good, she was evil incarnate and Angel loved her. Angel would never love Buffy the way he had loved his “Sweet Mummy” - it made Buffy sick to her stomach just thinking about the whole affair.

Had it not been for Angel’s infidelity and the Acathla thing, Buffy wouldn’t have ever had to strike up an alliance with Spike in the first place. Then she wouldn’t have started being so obsessed with the good Slayer and Angel wouldn’t have seen the Spike “floating all around” Buffy. And Buffy wouldn’t have Spike in her heart, consuming her every thought and emotion making her his very own. Buffy had to face it – she truly was Spike’s slave. And the worst part about it was that it would only get harder and harder for her to leave this place, this one-sided love affair, unless she made a break for it now.

Spike made his way through the cemetery towards Buffy’s crypt. He didn’t know what he was going to say. He’d probably tell her that the very human monster that had hurt her would be spending the rest of his life in either a prison or a mental institution. Then maybe she’d try to repay him by making a naughty suggestion about giving him a reward for being such a hero. Or perhaps she would still be extremely pissed off at him and try to pay him back for the pain he’d caused her last night. Either way, Spike’s skin was tingling with anticipation. He couldn’t wait to see her. His heart was pounding inside his chest and he suddenly found himself smiling and pounding on her door.

Spike kicked the door open and called out. “Buffy?”

He was met with a strange silence. He calmed himself for a moment and let his Slayer sense try to tune in her presence. He couldn’t feel her; she wasn’t there.

Spike turned towards the door to go look for her when he noticed another and much more alarming absence. Buffy’s television set was gone!

Buffy parked her car in front of Spike’s house on Revello Drive. It was after midnight and Buffy could tell that the Slayer wasn’t home. How did she know? Neither the kitchen lights nor his bedroom lights were on. When he was at home he was either eating or sleeping. So predictable!

Buffy went around to the back yard and looked up at Dawn’s window. There was a tiny glow coming from her bedside table.

“Good, I won’t be waking her, at least.’

Buffy may be skipping town, but she sure as Hell wasn’t going to leave without saying goodbye to her Little Bit. She owed her at least that much.

The blond vampire expertly scaled the trellis outside Dawn’s bedroom and then lightly rapped on the windowpane. Dawn looked up in surprise when she saw Buffy waving at her outside the window. Quickly she unlocked the window and opened it, letting Buffy inside.

“Buffy? What are you doing here? Why didn’t you just come in downstairs?” Dawn whispered.

Buffy laughed softly and straightened an errant strand of hair away from Dawn’s face. “Didn’t want to wake the witch. She needs her beauty sleep more than ever these days.”

“Okay, so what’s going on then? Is something wrong?”

Buffy motioned to the bed. “Come sit down, let’s have a chat, shall we?”

A nervous feeling fluttered in Dawn’s stomach as she felt something was definitely wrong. Buffy looked so serious and sadder than Dawn had ever seen. Dawn held her breath for a moment and then sighed heavily. “What’s wrong? Did someone die? No one’s dead, are they?”

Buffy sat down on the bed and took Dawn’s hands in hers. “I’m the only dead person around here, Bit.”

“So what’s with the weirdness?”

Buffy smiled sadly and squeezed the teenager’s hands. “I’m going away, Dawn.”

“For how long?”

Buffy remained silent. She didn’t have to say it. Dawn knew.

The tears came quickly, but quietly. “Why? Why are you leaving? You promised, you said, you said you’d stay and you said you’d stay ‘til the end of the world. You told me that.” Dawn said softly.

Buffy choked back a sob. This was a lot harder than she thought it would be. “Dawn, you don’t need me here anymore. Your brother is here and the Scoobies. You are going to finish high school, go to college and get yourself a real life. You don’t need the evil undead hangin’ around. Believe me - I’m old. I know these things.”

Dawn sniffled back her tears and tried her best to reason with the vampire in her room. “But, I like it when you hang around. Sometimes, you’re the only one I can talk to and sometimes you’re the only one who’ll tell me the truth. So tell me the truth now. Why are you leaving?”

“Niblet. . .” Buffy began to speak, but couldn’t finish. She reached out and tried to stroke her hair, but Dawn pulled away.

“You know, I never thought you were all that evil, until now.”

“Dawn. . .”

“No. Just go, go like the rest of them.”

Buffy got up off the bed and headed towards the open window. “I’m sorry, Bit. I didn’t want to hurt you, I just didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.”

Just as Buffy was about to step out the window Dawn put her hand on her shoulder. Buffy turned to face her young friend and Dawn threw her arm around Buffy’s shoulder and pulled her into a hug.

The teenager began to sob again and Buffy held her tighter. “Take care of yourself, Buffy.”

Buffy kissed Dawn’s cheek. “I’m going to miss you so much, Dawn. Now listen to me, mind your brother and no more pinching or else you’ll get caught one of these days.”

“Pinching?” Dawn asked.

“Oh come on, Dawn. I know what you’ve been up to you can’t fool a fellow thief.”

“Oh, that.”

Buffy released Dawn from her embrace and crooked her finger underneath her chin forcing the young woman to look into her eyes. “Be good, all right?”

Dawn smiled. “You too.”

Buffy laughed again through her now watery eyes. “I’ll try my damnest.”

Before Dawn knew it Buffy had leapt out the window as quick as a cat and was gone out of view.


	6. Chapter 6

Careful What You Wish For

Summary: Dawn makes a wish without knowing it will change the world she lives in. Buffy/Spike Romance

Setting: Season 6 – Post-“Wrecked”

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss & Company.

Author’s Note: I have taken the premise for this fan fic from a story written by Karen & Meredith called “Walk a Mile”.

Spike was walking slowly home lost in thought over where Buffy might be now. Did she really just leave town? She’d taken all of her clothes, her Punk Rock record albums and most importantly, her television set. It was inconceivable that she would just skip town without a confrontation and without saying goodbye. Spike always thought if Buffy left it would be because he ran her out, not because she just decided one day to leave peacefully.

As Spike turned the corner to approach his house he caught a glimpse of a black clad figure leaping from the second story of the Summers’ home. The gleam of the leather duster fluttering behind the small figure was a dead give away as to the identity of the night prowler.

Spike hid behind the large palm tree in front of his house and watched as Buffy fumbled with her car keys on the driver’s side of the vehicle. Buffy accidentally dropped the keys under her DeSoto.

“Bloody great!” She hissed as she fell to her knees to search for them.

Spike stealthily approached her; watching her curse under her non-breath and feel underneath the car unsuccessfully. For a vampire with excellent night vision she wasn’t having an easy time of locating her missing keys. Spike spotted them at his feet and was about to point them out to her when he saw her suddenly stop searching.

For the second time in two days he heard a painful wail come from the usually unflappable vampire. She put her head between her knees and began sobbing pitifully. She was in so much pain even though her bruises were barely visible anymore. Everything wound she was crying for was on the inside. She was ripping her own heart out by leaving and Spike had decided he wasn’t going to let her go.

Spike picked up the keys and jingled them. “Going on a road trip?”

Buffy gasped when she heard the Slayer’s voice interrupt her own pathetic boo-hooing. “Yes, a one way trip in fact. But please do me a favor wait until I’m gone to throw the victory celebration, all right?”

Spike stared at her with a dumbfounded expression on his face. Buffy held out her hand to the Slayer expectantly. “Come on, give it.” She said angrily indicating her wayward keys.

Spike shook his head and pocketed her keys. “No.”

Buffy wiped her tearstained face and sneered at the Slayer. “No?” Buffy spat at him as she jumped to her feet and went nose to nose with Spike. “You gonna make me rip you to shreds to get those keys, Slayer? Wanna wake the neighbors and Little Sis, too?”

Spike stepped closer to her his fury barely contained. “You can’t leave.”

Buffy let out an exasperated laugh. “Why not? What does it matter? You hate me!” Buffy bit her own lip to stop her from continuing to cry. The blood welled up on her lip and she continued her rant at the Slayer. “I bloody adore you and you despise me! You’ll fuck me, but you will never love me. I have no reason to stay here in Sunnyhell anymore. Dawn’s safe. I kept my promise to you and now you’re back and you’ll take care of her. She’ll grow up and have a life. I envy her.”

“Where are you going to go?” Spike asked softly.

“I dunno, home maybe. It’s been a while since I’ve seen London. Giles had the right idea. Maybe I’ll look him up. We can have tea together.”

Spike blinked in astonishment. His brain was unable to process this information properly. Buffy gone – so far away in England – far from the Hellmouth – far from Spike. No more stalking, no more arguments, no more deep wet kisses, no more promises of another night lost inside their passion. Done. Over. She’s leaving me, just like Dru and Harmony. I can’t even keep Elizabeth the Bloody around!

Spike tried to swallow, but his mouth had gone dry. “Buffy. . .”

Buffy cut him off short. “Oh, save it, Slayer, my sweet! Don’t pretend you care, I know you’ll miss beating the crap outta me and shagging me senseless when you’re feeling itchy, but other than that, I’ll not be missed.”

Again he tried to find the right words, the ones that would make this situation stop, make this sick and scared feeling in the pit of his stomach disappear. “Buffy . . . it’s not like . . .”

Buffy stalked forward again closing the gap between them. “It’s not like what, Slayer? God! You don’t even like me let alone love me! What I wanna know is how you can even touch me! How can you want me so much and not even care one little bit about me at all?”

Spike was at a loss. What could he say? He didn’t know how to say what he was feeling for her. She drove him crazy with need. It was only when he was with her that he felt so alive.

Buffy pushed his shoulders viciously knocking him to the ground. “And you just keep coming back to me, don’t you? And I’m so stupid. I just go along with it, let you use me anyway you can, because I bloody love you so much. But this has got to end, I can’t go on this way and neither can you. You have obligations here, you can’t leave, but I can.”

She stomped on his wrists with her heavy boots and vampiric strength pinning him to the pavement. “Now give me the sodding keys!”

A hot rage welled up inside Spike. He kicked Buffy off of him and then roughly threw her on top of the hood of her car. Barely a second had passed when he pounced on top of her and held a stake to her chest. “Why? Why do you do this to me? You drive me fucking insane! I shouldn’t even care! I should’ve dusted you years ago!”

Buffy lay perfectly still and passively spoke back to him. “So do it already. Kill me, Slayer. Please put me out of my misery. I’m not worth anything.”

Spike watched her eyes fill up with tears. Her full bottom lip pouting like a little girl as she whispered to him, “I’m nothing.” She was so beautiful and so despondent just then and the Slayer was mesmerized. He felt her trembling slightly beneath him and he was amazed at how soft she was for an undead immortal demon. He remembered all the times he’d fought her. How many times they’d both come so close to killing each other and yet they never did. Then there was their night in the abandoned house. The passion had been overwhelming. He’d never had it like that, never had it so good, just as she had said.

Buffy began to push her chest into the point of his stake as if she were trying to pierce her own heart. Spike quickly threw the stake to the ground and forcibly pinned her wrists beside her head. “Stop it! What is the matter with you? Elizabeth the Bloody never gives up! You never go away. You’re relentless!”

Buffy swallowed and her voice cracked as she whispered through her tears. “Slayer, I give up. You win. I’m already slain, I am dust.”

Spike looked at her with concern and began to question her. “Is this because of what happened last night? That human monster hurt you and now you can’t take the embarrassment of the chip anymore?”

Buffy was shaking with her sobs. “No! I deserved what he did to me! I deserved all of it.”

Spike shook his head at her in disbelief. How could she say something like that? She didn’t have a soul. Buffy didn’t feel guilt, did she? “Buffy, no one deserves that.”

“But I do. I’m evil remember?”

Spike’s heart was hammering in his chest as he felt her writhe and struggle beneath him finally attempting to free herself from his grasp. He was only mildly surprised by the feeling that was growing rapidly inside his jeans. He suddenly felt as if he’d never been so hard in his life and he knew his erection was pressing directly between her legs. And the more he grinded himself into her the more Buffy whimpered and sobbed.

Now Elizabeth the Bloody, with over a century of destruction under her belt, began to beg. “Please don’t do this to me. Don’t bring me this close to you only to pull away when it’s over. Please don’t torture me anymore, Slayer. Just make up your mind. Kiss me or kill me. But I beg you, don’t let me stay here in limbo anymore.”

Spike let go of her wrists and cupped her face in his hands. He wiped away the tears from her cheeks and noticed the small trickle of blood that had formed on her bottom lip. He leaned in and gently licked the tiny wound, tasting her blood. A sigh escaped her lips and her unneeded breath panted in his face. She smelled like bubblegum and beer with a hint of tobacco, but strangely sweet. She was cool and sweet, just as he remembered from their torrid night of passion. She opened her mouth to speak, but Spike silenced her with a kiss of desperation. His tongue laved the inside of her mouth.

So like Dru, but so different.

His kisses with Dru were practically chaste and always gentle, loving and sweet and always holding back. But Buffy, she was ice on fire, burning and melting at his touch. He never had to hold back with her. He could be as rough and as passionate as he’d ever wanted to be.

His hands pulled her shapely ass closer to him so he could rub his hard length against her with greater ease. Then one hand grasped her breast feeling the hard nipple beneath her black tank top. His lips never left hers as his other hand ran through her silky blond hair. 

She bucked her hips to meet his dry thrusts and he let out a lusty moan into her mouth. Her fingers hooked into his belt loops and pulled him closer trying her best to fuck him right through his jeans. Spike broke away and pulled her up off the hood of the car. “Come on, let’s go.”

Buffy was confused. “Huh? Go where?”

Spike tilted his head towards his front door. “Inside.”

“Your, your house? But what about. . . ” Buffy stuttered.

Spike put his finger on her lips to silence her. “My house, my bed, come on, Buffy, before I change my mind.”

He didn’t have to tell her again as she let him help her off the car and towards the house.

Quietly they tip toed past both Willow’s and Dawn’s rooms and into the Slayer’s bedroom. Spike shut the door gently and turned the lock.

Buffy felt decidedly uncomfortable all of a sudden. The last time she’d been in here with him he had threatened to throw her out the window, head first no less. It was just as she’d remembered it, still decorated with reminders of his teenaged past, the football trophies and the high school year books, the Pam Anderson poster stuck on the back of the closet door, the pictures of his family and friends. Now seeing him there in this room practically bursting out of his pants just for her was almost too much for her to comprehend.

Buffy’s eyes were still glistening with tears. Spike sat on the bed and motioned for her to come to him. Upon seeing her quivering lip he stood to meet her half way. “Buffy? Why are you still crying?”

“I’m scared.”

Spike laughed softly. “You? When have you ever been scared of anything?”

Buffy sniffled a little and shook her head. Not being able to meet his gaze she whispered to the floor. “I’m just afraid that I’m going to wake up and this is all going to turn out to be just a dream.”

Spike stopped talking and started to undress this pretty creature of the night in his bedroom. He first divested her of her leather duster, followed by her boots and socks. He noticed her toenails were painted pink and not black like her fingernails. He knelt down held her foot in his hand and looked at her questioningly.

Buffy shrugged it off with a smile. “Dawn did it.”

Then her belt and her tight black Levis were crumpled up and tossed aside to some unknown corner of the room. Spike was now face to face with a pair of hip hugging black satin panties that were already soaking wet with anticipation of what was to come.

Simultaneously, he reached into her tee shirt and her panties. His fingers burned her erect nipple and her clit as she sucked in a surprised gasp. “Oh God!” she panted, placing her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. Two of Spike’s fingers slid easily into her wet folds and he smiled up at her.

“Does this feel like a dream to you, Elizabeth?” Spike asked as he began to pump his fingers slowly in and out of her. 

Buffy bit her lip at the sound of her name, her real name being spoken by him. She couldn’t answer him, the words wouldn’t come, and she simply shook her head no.

Spike tugged her panties down to her ankles and told her to remove her top. Buffy obeyed him without pause revealing her full breasts to him. He continued to pump into her as he directed his attention to her taut pink nipples, licking and sucking and biting them gently.

Abruptly his mouth left her breasts and she whined at the loss. He then lowered his head and his hot pink tongue darted out to begin its attack on her swollen clit. Buffy yelped in surprise and almost lost her balance.

Spike stopped to steady her and his eyes met with hers. “Hey, now, don’t fall down.” He whispered up to her. “You’re really wet, Buffy, you must of missed me a lot.” Spike bent down again and sucked her clit into his mouth – hard. 

Buffy gasped again in pleasure threading her fingers through his hair. “Oh yes! Oh, God, yes! I missed you so much, Slayer – William, I missed you more than you’ll ever know.”

Spike stopped sucking at her and looked up at her. She was gorgeous, pale white with golden hair, all her curves so perfectly placed. His thumb was circling her clit as he fucked her mercilessly with his hand.

“You’re even more beautiful like this than when we were fighting. I should’ve done this to you the first time we met in the alley behind the Bronze.”

“Now that would’ve been a different kind of confrontation. Although I probably would’ve just tried to eat you.”

“Oh, how the tables have turned.” He laughed and then went right back to licking and sucking and nibbling at her again. She stiffened under his touch, letting a low growl escape her throat.

Spike stopped again, knowing she was close. They may have only spent the one night together, but he had already learned what buttons he had to push to get her to respond. “Come on, Buffy.” He said as his free hand cupped her breast, tugging at her nipple. “God, I need to hear you come. Will you come for me?” Spike started his final assault on her dripping sex. He sucked harder and harder at her clit and fucked her faster and faster with his fingers until her fingernails were clawing at his shoulders ripping his shirt and drawing blood. The scent of his blood rose in the air and hit her senses like a hammer. He didn’t even flinch; it was as if he’d not felt any pain at all. He just kept fucking her and she shattered inside. He could feel her muscles squeeze down tightly on his fingers and he could taste the flow of her juices pouring out of her. She bit her lip harder reopening and deepening the wound there. She bucked her hips into his face as she rode her climax to the end, finally her knees buckled and she fell into his arms quivering with the after shocks of what he had just done to her.

She pulled his mouth to hers and she delved into it with determination. Her tongue probed and licked the inside of his mouth. She could taste herself on his lips and he could taste the tanginess of her blood on hers - a wickedly sexy and sticky mix of their flavor and infatuation with one another.

In between their kisses she confessed her love for him again and again. “You are so amazing. I love you, Spike. I love you so much. Loving you is the only good thing I’ve ever done. You and Dawn are my salvation.”

Spike absorbed her words. This demon, this woman, was the only person on the planet that could make him feel alive and now he knew why. Because he was the only person in this world who could make her be something other than evil, make her feel truly alive and make her existence worthwhile. She was right when she said she’d given up, that he had already won. Spike had already slain Buffy – she was dust. In her place was someone else, a beautiful and loving woman whose humanity shone through the demonic costume she’d been forced to wear for eternity. Just as her insane sire, Angel, had taken away her humanity, Spike had restored it. She made no apologizes about not having a soul, but she had a heart. A heart that didn’t beat, but loved all the same.

Buffy had stopped professing her love and was currently stripping off his clothes. “Your turn, gorgeous.” She smirked at him as she pushed him down on top of his bed. His cock was pulsing with the beat of his heart – so hard, so big – all for her. Her hair brushed down his belly as she took the tip of his aching cock into her cool mouth. Spike sucked in a harsh gasp of pleasure as her tongue lapped at the clear salty liquid now leaking out of him. This was an incredible feeling. No woman had ever done this to him before Buffy. Although he had gone down on Harmony several times, she had never felt comfortable reciprocating. And he and Dru, well, they had only been together the one time. And the one-night-stand with that bitchy sorority chick, well didn’t leave much room experimentation either.

Her hand was stroking him at the base of his cock while her lips were sucking the sensitive tip and her other hand was gently squeezing his sack. “Oh God! Oh God! Buffy, Buffy, Buffy,” he chanted over and over. She lowered her head down further and she took one of his balls into her mouth gently lapping and rolling her tongue around it, all the while still pumping his shaft in long slow strokes. It was too much, too good, too fast. He didn’t want to come yet. He didn’t want to waste his orgasm by spurting it all over his chest like he’d done every night since he’d last touched her. He wanted to be buried deep inside her when he came. He wanted to fill her up again and again and again.

“Buffy,” he whispered as he reached his hands into her hair and gently pulled her mouth off of him. Buffy shook her head and kept right on suckling at him.

“Buffy,” he hissed desperately. “No.” He pulled her off of him again.

Buffy pouted and looked as if she was going to cry if he didn’t let her continue playing with him. “Why?” She choked on an impending sob.

“I need to be inside you, please? Now?”

Buffy smiled with relief and nodded. Spike pulled her into his lap and sat up so that he could look her in the eye when he entered her. She played with him for just another moment as she brushed her moist curls against his erection before lowering herself down onto him.

They both sighed at the feel of one another. Buffy’s eyes slid shut as she rocked up and down on him. Spike wrapped his arms around her tightly and pressed her to him. “Look at me Buffy. Watch me while I fuck you,” he demanded both seriously and gently.

Buffy opened her eyes and Spike started to kiss her deeply again. She moaned into his mouth all her pleasure and all her pain. Spike’s eyes squeezed shut for a moment as he pushed deeper inside of her. “Oh God, Buffy . . . you’re so tight, so impossibly tight.”

When Spike opened his eyes again he saw another sad expression on his lover’s face. Buffy’s eyes shifted away from his gaze for a moment, ponder whether or not she wanted to tell him. “There’s a reason for that. Do you want to know why?” she asked.

Spike paused for a second and held her face in his hands. He was truly puzzled. What possible reason could she come up with as to why she felt so good and snug around him? “Yes, Buffy, tell me why.”

Buffy smiled. “Well, first of all you’re quite well endowed.”

Spike smiled widely. “Thank you for saying that, ‘cause you know us guys never really know, ya know?”

“And the other reason is, is because I’m exactly the same as I was when I died.”

“I don’t understand. . .”

“I was a virgin when I died. You’re the only human man who has ever made love to me.”

“You died never knowing. . .”

“I died without love.”

Buffy stared directly into his searching his face for the answer to the question she knew she could never ask of him.

Spike thrust up hard and deep into her. She could feel him bruising her cervix with each thrust. She wondered how any human girl could ever have coupled with him without serious internal injuries. Maybe he just didn’t have to hold back with her. Maybe all of his other lovers only got a fraction of what Buffy was getting. Maybe she was the only one he could be himself with.

Spike’s hand threaded through her hair again and pulled her lips to his. Kissing and sucking her lips he began to speak to her. “Buffy, tell me you love me.”  
“I love you,” she replied sincerely.

“Again. Say it again.”

“I love you, William. I love you.”

Spike kissed her harder and more desperately than he ever had before and he was fucking her harder than she’d ever been before.

“Tell me you’ll never leave me, Buffy. Say you’ll never try to leave me again.”

“Oh God no! I’ll never leave you. Never. You have me. I’m yours. Forever.”

Spike was gasping through his words choking back tears as he pleaded with her. “Do you promise? You won’t go?”

Buffy cupped his face in her hands. “No, my love, I will always be here for you. I promise. I will be here. I’ll back you up. I’ll look after you and Dawn, for as long as you’ll have me.”

Spike began to break down. The walls that had gone up when Drusilla left him were crumbling to dust. He finally could let go and move on - with Buffy. To be fair he would always love Dru and Harmony, but they could never replace this feeling of release and understanding he had with Buffy.

Tears were flowing freely down his face and Buffy was wiping them away. They had all but stopped their lovemaking when Spike surprised her by flipping her onto her back never slipping out of her body. He held her face in his hands as he pumped deep into her again. In and out, slow and hard making sure to hit her clit with his pelvis on every stroke.

“Buffy, I, I…”

“Don’t. You don’t have to say anything. You don’t have to say a word.”

“I do. I have to. I can’t lose you, ever. I love you. God help me, I don’t care if I’m wrong or not. I love you, my beautiful enemy.”

“Oh God!” Buffy gasped and felt a white hot wave of heat and pleasure bolt through her body. The words had gone into her ears and the knowledge that he loved her as she loved him hit home. She was coming so hard; she couldn’t even make a sound only a shuddering sigh came out of her mouth. It was then that she realized that Spike was coming too. And the warmth she felt inside of her was Spike filling her up. He just kept coming jerking inside of her while she squeezed him with her inner muscles.

The lovers were spent and covered in a fine sheen of sweat and tears. He was panting and kissing her mouth. Saying over and over again. “I love you. You make me feel so alive. You’re not dead, Buffy. You’re not dead when you’re with me. You belong with me.”

Buffy stroked his face gently. “We belong with each other, luv.”

Spike’s eyes began to flutter shut with exhaustion. And Buffy coaxed her young lover under his covers. “Sleep, luv, sleep.” She whispered to him while placing feather light kisses on his soft lips.

Buffy dressed herself in her underpants and tee shirt then slipped silently out into the hall then into the bathroom to freshen up. Never in her whole un-life had she wished she could see herself as she did tonight. She looked into the mirror and cursed that there was nothing there. She wanted to know so badly how happy she looked, because she couldn’t remember ever in her entire existence feeling this content or joyful. She smiled softly to herself and realized that finally after all those decades she finally belonged.


	7. Chapter 7

Careful What You Wish For

Summary: Dawn makes a wish without knowing it will change the world she lives in. Buffy/Spike Romance

Setting: Season 6 – Post-“Wrecked”

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss & Company.

Author’s Note: I have taken the premise for this fan fic from a story written by Karen & Meredith called “Walk a Mile”.

 

Dawn woke up feeling horribly alone. Everyone she loved always seemed to leave her in one way or another. Either they died, took off or decided to ignore her.  
Life sucks!

As she made her way to the bathroom she noticed that Spike’s door was shut. Her older brother had taken to long bouts of sleeping followed by equally long bouts of insomnia since his return from the great beyond. It was already 9:30 a.m. and she wondered how long he’d be out this time.

“He’ll probably sleep until dinnertime.”

Dawn brushed her teeth and was going to get into the shower when she heard Willow knocking softly on the bathroom door. “Dawnie? Are you going to be long? I’m not feeling very well.”

Dawn opened the door quickly and let Willow in. “Just so you don’t yak on the carpet.”

“Thank you.” Willow said as Dawn shut the door and headed back to her bedroom. Dawn heard the faint sounds of Willow heaving into the toilet followed by the shower running.

Dawn attempted to go back to sleep, but she only ended up tossing and turning in her bed. She didn’t want to feel so alone anymore; she just wanted someone to talk to who would actually listen to her. Now that Buffy was gone, Dawn had lost her last outlet of communication.

She wished things were as simple as they were when she was a little girl. She used to be able to just crawl into Spike’s arms back then when he was just her big brother, Will, and fall asleep with him. No need to feel afraid or uncertain, Dawn always felt safe and secure with him sometimes even more so than when she was with their parents.

“Maybe since the monks made me out of him, I always just knew that I was his.”

And he was always the one she would run to after she’d had a nightmare or especially when Mom and Dad were fighting.

There had been an entire year after Mom and Dad split up that Dawn couldn’t sleep unless her brother was with her. She would fall asleep on the couch in his lap or on the floor next to him while he did his homework. And if she ever woke up and he wasn’t there she’d instantly get terrified. Mom did her best to break Dawn of this increasingly annoying habit, but Dawn just kept clinging to Will.

It wasn’t until they all moved to Sunnydale and its basic Hell mouth weirdness that her brother started to kick her out of his room and his life. He suddenly became very secretive about his comings and goings. Neither Dawn nor Joyce could have guessed he was the Slayer.

Then they started getting phone calls at the house asking for “Spike”. It was funny at first. It seemed his football teammates had nicknamed him Spike and it stuck. Then in typical Will Summers fashion he got kicked off the football team for missing too many practices. He was being all-delinquent again and Mom was worried. Then Spike was at home less and less at night so Dawn’s habit of clinging to him was broken by default. Couldn’t be clingy to someone who wasn’t there – even if he did give her his favorite stuffed pig Mr. Gordo to keep her company. Still, Dawn missed those days.

Dawn really wanted to curl up with Spike and sleep the day away. Maybe if she just went in and laid down he’d wake up and talk to her or maybe he’d tuck her in and call her his “Little Dawn Monster”. Dawn decided it was worth a try. What was the worse that could happen? He could just kick her out, but he probably wouldn’t.

Dawn walked down the hall towards Spike’s room passing a very damp and very pale Willow in the hallway. Willow smiled. “Hey, Dawnie, bathroom’s free. I’ll go down and make breakfast for you in a few minutes.”

“That’s OK. I’m not hungry yet. Go back to sleep for a little while. You should work up an appetite before you force yourself to look at food.”

 

Willow became even paler at the thought of food-like ingredients. “OK, Dawnie. I think you’re probably right.”

Willow then slowly shuffled down to her room and shut the door as Dawn approached Spike’s bedroom. Opening the door quietly, Dawn peaked inside. A single figure lay under the covers, but it didn’t look like her brother at all. This person was way too small.

Dawn closed the door and made her way over to the bed. Her jaw dropped when she recognized who it was in her brother’s bed. “Oh my God!” Dawn gasped quietly. “Buffy?”

Buffy rolled over at the sound of Dawn’s voice and started mumbling in her sleep. “Yes, Nanny, I’m up. I won’t be late for church this time, I promise.”

Dawn laughed and poked the sleeping vampire. “Buffy!”

Buffy’s eyes snapped open and she looked at Dawn in surprise. She raked her hand through her hair in an attempt to look more presentable for the teenager. “Little Bit! Well, this is quite embarrassing.”

Dawn smiled. “Did you want to go to church or something?”

Buffy gathered the covers up to her neck and shook her head violently. “Church? Are you bloody crazy?”

“Well, you were sleep talking something about not being late for church.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Stupid dreams! My nanny when I was a little girl used to . . . oh, never mind.”

Dawn sat on the foot of the bed and observed the very embarrassed woman as she held the covers closer to her body. “You’re not naked under there are you?”

Buffy laughed softly. “No, Niblet. I’ve got my knickers on. See?” Buffy showed her that she was wearing her top and panties.

“So?”

Buffy avoided Dawn’s gaze. “So.”

“You boinked my brother didn’t you?”

 

Buffy gasped in horrific embarrassment. “Dawn! I did nothing of the sort!”

“Oh please! That’s such crap! You expect me to believe you’re in his bed looking all tousled and glowy because you spent the night holding hands?”

Buffy put her hands upon her cheeks. “I look glowy? Really?”

Dawn gave her a knowing smile. “Yeah, you do. And you’re hair’s a total mess.”

“I didn’t just bonk him, you know. It wasn’t like that.” Buffy said seriously.

“I know.” Dawn looked at Buffy and her smile grew even bigger. “So, you didn’t leave. Does this mean you’re going to stay now?”

“I tried to leave, believe me, but the Slayer wouldn’t let me go.” Buffy smiled with the memory of last night’s passionate and real lovemaking. No longer did Buffy feel like she and Spike’s relationship was only one-sided. Although now she was wondering to where her lover might have disappeared.

“So, you’re not leaving, right?” Dawn asked again hopefully.

Buffy reached out and squeezed Dawn’s hand. “No, never again. Ever, I promise.”

“You really love him, don’t you?”

“Yes. I do. But he’s not the only one.” Buffy motioned for her Little Bit to come in for a hug.

Dawn’s heart felt like it was going to burst she was so happy. She wasn’t losing her confidant after all. And she loved her, too. Dawn hadn’t felt this wanted since before Mom died. Dawn went into Buffy’s outstretched arms and hugged her as best she could with her arm in its sling. “I love you too, Buffy. I’m so glad you’re gonna stay. And now that you and Spike are, you know, together, you’ll be around more won’t you?”

Buffy yawned. She was still exhausted. It was so early for her still. “Hopefully, Dawn, if things go well. I’ll do my best for you, all right? I’ll try not to muck things up, but you’ve gotta watch me. Don’t let me go off the evil deep end or anything.”

Dawn laughed. “You sound like Willow.”

“I’m serious, Dawn. I don’t want to do anything to make your brother push me away. I want to be better, you know, good enough for him and you.”

Dawn looked into Buffy’s eyes. She looked so scared, like any second Spike was going to come in and stake her. “Buffy, you’re not as bad as you think you are. You’re more than just some vampire. You’ve been more than that for a while now. You just have to remember it.”

Buffy reached out and stroked Dawn’s hair in very much they same way Joyce used to when she was alive. “Dawn, you are the only reason I’m even still here and not a dust pile, ya know? You saved me.”

“Huh?”

“You did. When Spike died, you were the only reason I didn’t go right out and get myself a terminal suntan that morning. I’d promised him I would look after you. And I couldn’t let you or him down again. And I won’t.” Buffy kissed Dawn’s cheek and then yawned again.

Dawn followed her lead, yawning a big yawn. “You’re still tired, so am I.”

Buffy moved over and made room for Dawn as she flopped back down into the pillows. Dawn snuggled in next to her and looked up at Buffy as she fell back asleep. “Buffy?”

“Mmmm?”

“You don’t snore, do you?”

Buffy smirked. “No, pigeon, I sleep like the dead.”

Spike put the dozen bagels and two containers of favored cream cheese on the counter and headed upstairs to see if Buffy was still sleeping. He was sure that she wouldn’t mind getting up before Anya and Xander came over for Sunday brunch. He could just say that she showed up this morning, as usual, nothing new about that. Spike just hoped that Willow hadn’t seen her yet sleeping in her underwear in his bed, hair all tousled, skin smooth as silk, lipstick smeared – such a pretty mess. Maybe he could go in and wake her up for a morning quickie before anyone arrived. He was getting hard just picturing her there in his room, in his bed, in his arms.

What the Hell was he going to tell them? “Oh, by the way, Guys, I’m in love with another vampire and I’ve been banging her every chance I get even though she’s a soulless demon.”?

On the one hand he wanted to tell them that he and Buffy were in a relationship, but on the other hand he didn’t want to deal with the inevitable lecture that was going to go with that admission. They might be so ashamed of him. He couldn’t bear them looking down on him, but he needed her, he loved her. Maybe Xander would get it. After all, his best friend was marrying an ex-demon who sometimes acted as if she still was a monster if only when it came to money.

Spike decided that they did not need to know yet. The two of them would just have to play it cool today. Maybe if she hung around with them more often and she behaved herself they’ll start to like her more. He hoped.

Spike opened his door quietly and started to take off his clothes when he heard something odd. Someone was breathing and it certainly wasn’t Buffy. The Slayer peered into the bed and found his little sister snoring into Buffy’s shoulder. He quickly zipped up his jeans and put his shirt back on when he heard Buffy whisper. “She came in looking for you and found me instead.”

Spike watched as Buffy slowly extracted herself from Dawn’s embrace and then pulled the covers over the girl, tucking her in. “She’s such a sweet girl, this one. I should’ve loved to have had a sister like her.” Buffy pet Dawn’s hair lovingly, smoothing her long brunette locks away from her face. “You’re a lucky man, Slayer.”

“I know.” Spike said as he leaned in and kissed Buffy gently on her lips. Seeing her there looking after Dawn was almost like seeing his mother Joyce taking care of her again. Buffy was really in this for the long haul. She wasn’t going to just disappear like Dru or Harmony did. She was going to be the one to stay and see things through, like she always did. Even when Buffy was Uber-evil and his enemy, she always stuck with her evil plans until the end, no matter how ill conceived or easily thwarted they were.

Spike smiled at his lover and nodded towards his sister. “What do you say? Should I go put Sleeping Beauty back in her own bed and then you can show me how lucky I really am?”

Buffy was beaming a beautiful smile at him. “Whatever you think is best, luv.”

Spike gently picked Dawn up and carried her towards the door. “I’ll be right back.”

Willow opened the front door for Xander and Anya. “Hi guys! Come on in, I’m making omelets and pancakes and some bagels magically materialized in the kitchen so . . .”

Xander’s eyes almost popped out of his head. “Magic? Willow, no! You’ve been doing so well!”

“Oh, no! I-I think Spike might’ve gone out for them earlier.” Willow explained.

Anya sighed with relief. “Thank goodness, because I’d hate to think you’d backslide into magical addiction for the sake of brunch.”

“So, where is Spike anyway? And Dawnster?” Xander asked.

“They’re both upstairs, I think Dawn’s in the shower.” Willow replied as she rushed back into the kitchen to keep her omelets from burning.

“I’ll go get Spike. Anya, can you help Willow with the food?”

Anya rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I wish she could still just snap her fingers and make bagels magically appear.”

Xander chuckled and headed up the stairs towards his friend’s room. Knocking quickly on the door Xander turned the knob and opened it up. “Rise and shine sleepy. . .Whoa!”

There they were - Spike and Buffy! Xander blinked twice as he took in the scene before him. Spike was on top of Buffy covered only by a thin bed sheet. His mouth was suckling at her pure white breast as she mewled with pleasure. His friend was very obviously thrusting inside of the pretty vampiress when they both stopped and stared back at Xander with shock and surprise.

“Oh my God! I’m sorry! Sorry!” Xander exclaimed as he backed out of the room and quickly shut the door. Turning towards the stairs he ran directly into Dawn, freshly cleaned, dressed and ready for food.

“Xander? What’s up? You look funny.”

“Uh, um, uh . . . Oh my God! Whatever you do, do not go in there right now.” Xander said quickly grabbing Dawn’s arm and dragging her down the stairs.

Willow and Anya looked up from the dining room table in confusion when Xander practically shoved Dawn into the room. Anya became alarmed by the look on her fiancé’s face. “Xander? What’s wrong?”

Xander’s mouth opened and shut without making a sound. Willow rushed over to him. “Xander! Oh my God! What’s the matter?”

Finally Xander spoke. “Spike – he’s, he’s, he’s. . .”

“He’s what?” Anya and Willow both demanded.

“He’s in his bed with Buffy and they’re, they’re . . .”

“Boinking?” Dawn asked trying to be helpful and sounding none too surprised.

Xander nodded.

Anya gaped.

Willow sat down, stunned momentarily. “Are, are you sure?”

Xander looked at Willow and nodded vigorously. “Yes, Will! I’m very sure!”

Spike and Buffy quickly put their clothes on. Buffy was on her knees searching under the bed for her missing boot while Spike putting on a clean tee shirt. When she found it and started to put it on she glanced up to see the anxious expression on Spike’s face. In that moment she knew everything they’d done last night and this morning didn’t change the fact that he was scared to death of admitting his feelings for her to his friends.

With a reassuring smile Buffy placed her hand his shoulder. “No worries, Slayer. I’ll borrow a good thick blanket and be on my way.”

Buffy reached for the doorknob and Spike grabbed her wrist. Pulling her into his arms and backing her up against the door Spike looked into her eyes. “No, you stay here, I’ll deal with them.”

“But. . .” Buffy began to protest, but Spike silenced her with a searing kiss.

“Don’t leave.”

Buffy nodded in silent agreement and watched him bound down the stairs.

Spike poked his head into the dining room and gave them all a small smile. “So. . . um. Hey! Funny thing happened on the way home from the cemetery last night. . .”


	8. Chapter 8

Careful What You Wish For

Summary: Dawn makes a wish without knowing it will change the world she lives in. Buffy/Spike Romance

Setting: Season 6 – Post-“Wrecked”

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss & Company.

Author’s Note: I have taken the premise for this fan fic from a story written by Karen & Meredith called “Walk a Mile”.

 

Spike poked his head into the dining room and gave them all a small smile. “So. . . um. Hey! Funny thing happened on the way home from the cemetery last night. . .”

Anya rolled her eyes at the Slayer’s attempt at humor. “So what happened? Did you trip and accidentally fall into bed with the undead?”

“Hey!” Dawn exclaimed.

“Well, someone had to say it! This is crazy! Just like when we thought he was doing Buffy last year, except that was just a robot. Or did you forget about that fiasco, Spike?”

“Anya, honey, we’re not supposed to make him feel worse about this, just help him through this.”

Spike eyed all of his friends suspiciously. “Help me through what?”

The looks on their faces spoke volumes. They were worried, disappointed and horrified. In the space of ten minutes Spike had managed to alienate all of his closest friends. The only face not glaring at him was Dawn. No, Dawn wasn’t glaring at Spike; she was glaring at everyone else in the room.

Willow bit her lip as she took Spike’s hand and led him over to a chair, silently telling him to have a seat. “Did something happen, Spike? Something strange or-or out of the ordinary that would make you think being with Buffy was something you wanted to do?”

Xander snapped his fingers. “That’s it! It’s a spell! Like that time when Willow did that horrible spell and you proposed to Buffy. Remember?”

Spike looked visibly shaken. He opened his mouth and tried to speak, protest, explain, yell – anything. But he then fell silent and shook his head.

Dawn came up behind her brother and put her hands on his shoulders in reassurance. “It’s not a spell. Right, Spike?”

Spike looked up at all of his friends’ bewildered faces. Quietly the Slayer began to explain. “I-I care about her. I don’t understand why, but I can’t help it. She knows me. Sometimes she knows me better than I know myself, and it feels…”

Willow gaped at Spike and then let out a shocked yelp. “OH MY GOD!”

Everyone jumped in response to Willow’s outburst and watched as she quickly rushed at Spike and Dawn. Willow reached out and grasped the hand that Dawn had placed on Spike’s shoulder.

In horror Willow examined Dawn’s fingers. “Dawnie? Where did you get this ring?”

“I found it. Someone threw it in the garbage. I thought it was pretty. Is-is it yours?” Dawn asked nervously.

“Oh my God! Dawn? You haven’t made any wishes lately, have you?”

“Um, don’t think so. Why?”

“Amy gave me this ring! That’s why I threw it out. It’s supposed to be able to grant the wearer one wish. A wish for anything – they could change the universe if they wanted to.”

“Ah Ha! See! I told you it was a spell. Dawnie, you didn’t say anything like ‘I wish my brother would fall in love with Buffy’, did you?”

Dawn clicked her tongue in annoyance. “No.”

Xander didn’t believe her. “’Cause we all know you really like Buffy a lot, and that would definitely explain the insanity going on here.”

Spike was starting to get very fed up with this situation. “You think I’m insane?”

Xander immediately started to backpedal. “Well, not insane insane just under the influence of something magical or evil or . . . Willow, help me out here.”

Willow was lost in thought over how and when a wish could have been granted to Dawn. It simply had to be the reason for Spike’s behavior. “Well, Amy gave me that ring on Thursday morning, when did you find it Dawn?”

Dawn thought for a moment. “Thursday night.”

Xander completed his deduction. “And you’ve only been having sex with Buffy since when? Last night, right?”

Spike shook his head and began to reply to his friend’s question when they all heard a mocking laugh coming from the doorway.

Buffy entered the room smirking at Xander. “Shows what you know, Boy Wonder!”

Xander ignored Buffy’s insult and kept his attention on the Slayer. “Spike? How long has this been going on?”

“There was one other night – all night – about a week ago.” Spike admitted.

Willow remembered. She’d been out with Amy and Dawn was left alone with Tara. “Oh, Wow! It was that night you and I didn’t come home, wasn’t it?”

Buffy saw the look on Spike’s face. This was hurting him so much. He was humiliated and disgusted with himself and it was all her fault. His friends were making him feel so guilty about this, it just wasn’t right.

Buffy stood up to these humans and their overly pious attitudes. “Hey now! Don’t blame the Slayer! It was me. It was my fault. He’d been very lonely since . . . well, you know. And – and I was just, convenient. It’s not like it means anything, to him. Boys will be boys, all that rot.”

Spike winced at his lover’s attempt to trivialize their relationship for the gang’s benefit. She was using the same arguments with them as he had done with her the morning after their first time together. He started to feel a little sick just remembering how he’d behaved with her. It was probably best if he put a stop to her ranting. “Buff…”

 

But she just continued talking. “It was just a little sex. It’s not the end of the bloody world! Unlike some vampires I don’t have an orgasm and then decide to kill everyone I know. And anyway, you all know that there’s nothing to fear from me. It’s not like the Slayer can bang this chip out of my head.” 

“All right, that’s enough!” Spike yelled at the blonde vampire. “It wasn’t just sex! At first, yeah! I thought it was just a momentary lapse of judgement. I was lonely and she is in love with me and she is attractive and unbelievably strong and she was wearing . . . well never mind what she was wearing. I just gave into the temptation. I thought it was a one time thing, a fluke, but it hasn’t turned out that way.”

Buffy hissed at Spike. “Slayer…you don’t have to…”

“God! Buffy! For just once in your life, can you keep your mouth shut and let me finish?” Spike snapped at her and she closed her mouth. He then went on addressing his friends. “You see? She’s rude! She interrupts me all the time with her comments and her opinions. And she’s evil! So evil that she never holds back the truth, no matter how ugly or how much I don’t want to hear it. She’s a monster! But she’s also devoted and protective and one Hell of an ally. And I don’t know when I started to feel it, but like it or hate it, I need her. I’m sorry I disgust you all so much, but I’m not insane. This is real.”

Xander ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. “Hey, Spike, you don’t disgust me. I mean I understand she’s beautiful, sure.” Xander gestured in Buffy’s direction.

“Oh great, I think I’m going to heave! The whelp thinks I’m pretty.” Buffy started to search her duster for her cigarettes.

Xander again tried to ignore Buffy’s constant insults. “What I mean is she beautiful and if you wanted to just fool around with her on occasion, fine. But getting into a full on relationship with a demon like her . . .”

Buffy scoffed and laughed as she lit up her cigarette. Dawn shook her head “no” at Buffy’s smoking. As Buffy searched the dining room for something to put her cigarette out in, Anya’s eyes shot daggers at her fiancé. 

“Xander? What about you? Are you just ‘fooling around with me on occasion’?

“Anya, no, that’s not the same thing. You’re my girl. I love you.” Xander explained.

At Xander’s last comment, Buffy got fed up and finally dropped her cigarette into Willow’s glass of orange juice extinguishing it with a hiss and a puff of smoke. Willow sneered at Buffy with disgust. Buffy quickly snatched the offensive glass away from the witch. “Sorry, Wils. I’ll get you a new one.” Buffy headed off to the kitchen to get Willow a new glass of juice and Anya continued to yell at Xander.

“Oh! So you’re saying that it’s okay for Spike to bone Buffy when he feels the urge, but he can’t have feelings for her? Is that how you felt about me when we first started having sexual intercourse with each other? Was I just some demon girl to satisfy your virile masculine cravings?”

Xander was caught. On the one hand, when he first started seeing Anya it was mostly about sex, but on the other hand, he would never have just used Anya as some sort of sex bunny. When he looked at Anya, even back then, he didn’t see just some demon. He saw her as a woman and he liked her, then she was his girlfriend and he loved her. Sure, she was a thousand years old and had probably tortured, maimed and killed thousands and thousands of men, but he loved her.

Xander put his arm around Anya and pulled her close. “No, An, you were never just some demon.” Xander looked at his best friend’s pitiful expression. He’d hurt really Spike by telling him that it was wrong to have feelings for Buffy. Who was he to talk? Anya probably had racked up a higher body count during her demon years than Buffy could ever have hoped to achieve during her whole un-life.

Willow sighed. She had to admit it - she didn’t like Anya very much when she’d first met her. Even now Anya still grated on her nerves, but Xander loved her so much and Willow only wanted him to be happy. Why shouldn’t she accept that Buffy might actually make Spike happy? She really wasn’t so bad anymore. Evil – yes, but so helpful. All summer she’d diligently worked to help with the slaying and taking care of Dawn in the evenings. Willow had actually seen the vampire do the dishes! Who’d have thought? Willow reached out and grabbed Spike’s hand. “It’s okay, Spike. We’ll always be your friends, no matter what. No matter who you’re sleeping with, as long as you’re happy. That’s all we want.”

Xander nodded his agreement. “Yeah, man.” Xander’s grip tightened around Anya’s waist. “If she’s the one who makes you happy. And from what I just saw, as embarrassing as that was, you looked, you know, happy.” Xander said with a smile.

“And who am I to judge? I used to date a werewolf and now I’m a former witch and a lesbian who’s currently not dating anyone, but . . . still very unconventional.” Willow offered.

“And Xander is about to marry me. And I was a demon. It’s not like Buffy’s all that demony anymore. I mean what kind of demon eats popcorn and paints her toenails pink anyway? I know I didn’t.”

Buffy stood in the doorway holding a glass of juice for Willow listening to their reassurances to the Slayer. Dawn was looking directly at Buffy with a sweet smile of satisfaction on her face. Spike gazed across the room at Buffy and simply said to no one in particular. “I love her . . . she’s mine.”

Buffy then quietly walked over to Willow and handed her the beverage. “So, right then. Now that we’ve gotten past the mini melodrama, shouldn’t we be trying to suss out what kind of wish our little Niblet may or may not have made to alter this our wacky universe?”

Willow snapped back to full attention. “Oh yeah! Well, we could always do a spell . . . oh . . . damn. No spells allowed.”

Spike stood up and began making himself a plate of food. All this emotional excitement had made him exceedingly hungry. “Well, Willow, you can’t do a spell, but we still have a friend that can. That is if you don’t mind her coming over.”

Willow’s bottom lip quivered a little. “Yeah, I guess we could call Tara. But I don’t know if she’d help with my being here and . . .”

“I’ll call her. If she knows we need help, she won’t say no. Don’t worry. I can guilt her into it.” Dawn said as she picked up the cordless phone and pressed speed dial number three.

One phone call, two hours of research and one trip to the Magic Box later, the whole Scooby gang, Tara included, sat in the living room preparing to do the spell that could reveal what magic if any had been used to alter their reality.

“Thanks again Tara for doing this on such short notice. I really didn’t feel up to the whole putting myself into a trance thing. I’m not very good at that sort of thing, we’d probably be here for hours, possibly days.” Spike said while he made a counter clockwise circle of magic sand around Tara.

“I don’t know, Spike, you d-did a good job the last time.” Tara quietly said while trying to avoid the longing stare of her former girlfriend watching the preparations from a safe distance.

“Ooh! Can I light the incense?” Dawn asked in excitement as she nearly kicked over two of the already lit candles.

Buffy gently pulled Dawn away from the prep area. “Come sit over here with Xander, Princess. I’ll light the incense.” Buffy pulled out her Zippo lighter and made quick work of igniting the required three sticks of mystical and stinky incense.

Buffy then settled into the big armchair with Dawn to watch Tara do her thing. Dawn put her head on her shoulder and sighed. “Is it going to take long?”

Spike sat down on the floor in front of his girls and hushed them. “Shh, she’s about to begin.”

“What kind of spell is this exactly?” Buffy asked.

“She’s going to be ‘pulling back the curtain’. It’s a spell to see spells. I did it once myself. It’s how I found out that Dawn was . . .” Spike stopped his explanation short.

“It’s okay, Spike.” Dawn reassured her brother. “It’s how he found out I was the Key.”

“Oh. Handy spell then is it?” Buffy asked.

“Shh!” Anya hissed. “She needs quiet!”

Inside the circle, Tara retreated into herself. She quietly chanted the required words over and over getting herself to the perfect state of calm in order to be able to “see” what she needed to see. She was very good at this and it took only fifteen minutes for her to reach the spiritual plane that she was seeking. A bright light flashed behind her closed eyelids and her eyes then snapped open.

The honey blond witch stood up and glanced around the room. To the spectators it seemed as though she was looking right through them as if they were ghosts.

It was then that Tara walked over towards one of the end tables by the couch and knelt in front of it in wonder. She was staring directly at a picture of Joyce, Dawn and Spike with her mouth gaping open. Her head then spun around and she gasped as she looked at Spike sitting there with Dawn and Buffy.

Spike stood up and faced Tara. “Tara? Can you hear me? What do you see? Can you see the spell?”

Tara opened her mouth to speak, but only a slight squeak emanated from her throat. Her attention then turned to Buffy who was none too impressed with this so-called spell. But then she started to get a tad uncomfortable with the way the Wicca’s eyes were focusing on her. “What?” Buffy snapped. “Come on, Wicca girl, out with it now.”

Tara shook her head and blinked a few times then shouted. “Let the spell be ended!”

Tara stumbled backwards and then forwards, almost falling to her knees, but Spike caught hold of her quickly. “Tara? Are you all right? Come sit down.”

Willow rushed into the room. “Is she okay? Tara? You look pale. I’ll get you some water.”

Xander went to assist Spike in getting Tara situated on the couch. Gently, Xander prodded the witch. “I take it you saw the spell?”

Tara nodded affirmitively. Willow handed a glass of water to Anya and gestured for her to give it to Tara.

As Anya handed the glass to Tara she just couldn’t help but add to the conversation. “Come on, Tara, the suspense is killing me. What kind of wish did Dawn make?”

Tara took a gulp of water and then finally spoke. “I saw it. I heard it. Dawn said ‘I just wish that you could know what it’s like to be in his place for a change’.”

Anya scowled. “Huh? What kind of wish is that?”

“Her wish has swapped their essences. Buffy and Spike – they’ve switched their rightful places in this universe.”

Buffy laughed. “And that means what? Spike is really the vampire? And I’m the bloody . . .”

Tara cut Buffy off. “And you’re the Slayer, Buffy.”  
Everyone was speechless, except Buffy. “Bloody Hell, Tara! I was only joking! Now stop foolin’ and tell us what you really saw.”

Buffy’s plea was met with a silent apology from Tara.

Buffy’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. “Oh God! No! Please no! This is a bloody nightmare!”


End file.
